Philosophical transactions, Vol. L. Part I. For the year 1757.

Chapter I: Part 1

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PHILOSOPHICAL
TRANSACTIONS,
GIVING SOME
ACCOUNT
OF THE
Present Undertakings, Studies, _and_ Labours,
OF THE
INGENIOUS,
IN MANY
Considerable Parts of the WORLD.

VOL. L. +PART I.+ For the Year 1757.

_LONDON._

Printed for +L. DAVIS+ and +C. REYMERS+,
Printers to the +ROYAL SOCIETY+,
against _Gray’s-Inn Gate_, in _Holbourn_.

M.DCC.LVIII.

THE
CONTENTS
TO
PART I. VOLUME L.

I. _AN Account of the Earthquake felt in_ New England, _and
the neighbouring Parts of_ America, _on the 18th of_ November
_1755. In a Letter to_ Tho. Birch, _D.D. Secret. R.S. by Mr.
Professor_ Winthrop, _of_ Cambridge _in_ New England. Page 1.

II. _The strange Effects of some effervescent Mixtures; in a Letter
from Dr._ James Mounsey, _Physician of the_ Russian _Army,
and F.R.S. to Mr._ Henry Baker, _F.R.S. Communicated by Mr._ Baker.
p. 19.

III. _Extract of a Letter of_ J. Wall, _M.D. to the Rev.
Dr._ Lyttelton, _Dean of_ Exeter, _and F.R.S. concerning the
good Effects of_ Malverne _Waters in_ Worcestershire. p. 23.

IV. _An Account of the_ Carlsbad _Mineral Waters in_
Bohemia: _In a Letter to the Right Honourable the Earl of_
Macclesfield, _President of the R.S. by the Rev._ Jeremiah
Milles, _D.D. F.R.S._ p. 25.

V. _An Essay towards ascertaining the specific Gravity of living
Men. By_ Mr. John Robertson, _F.R.S._ p. 30.

VI. _An Instance of the Gut_ Ileum, _cut thro’ by a Knife,
successfully treated by Mr._ Peter Travers, _Surgeon, at_
Lisbon. _Communicated by_ John Huxham, _M.D. F.R.S._ p. 35.

VII. _An Account of a Visitation of the leprous Persons in the
Isle of_ Guadaloupe: _In a Letter to Mons._ Damonville,
_Counsellor and Assistant-Judge at_ Martinico, _and in the
Office of King’s Physician at_ Guadaloupe. _By_ John Andrew
Peyssonel, _M.D. F.R.S. Translated from the_ French. p. 38.

VIII. _An Account of the late Discoveries of Antiquities at_
Herculaneum; _in an Extract of a Letter from_ Camillo Paderni,
_Keeper of the_ Herculanean Museum, _and F.R.S. to_ Thomas
Hollis, _Esq; dated_ Naples, Dec. 16, 1756. p. 49.

IX. _An Account of some Trees discovered underground on the Shore
at_ Mount’s-Bay _in_ Cornwall: _In a Letter from the Rev.
Mr._ William Borlase, _F.R.S. to the Rev. Dr._ Lyttelton,
_Dean of_ Exeter. p. 51.

X. _Experiments on applying the Rev. Dr._ Hales’_s Method of
distilling Salt-water to the Steam-Engine. By_ Keane Fitzgerald,
_Esq; F.R.S._ p. 53.

XI. _Extract of a Letter of Mr._ Abraham Trembley, _F.R.S.
to_ Tho. Birch, _D.D. Secret. R.S. Translated from the_
French. p. 58.

XII. _A brief Botanical and Medical History of the_ Solanum
Lethale, Bella-donna, _or_ Deadly Nightshade, _by Mr._
Richard Pulteney. _Communicated by Mr._ William Watson,
_F.R.S._ p. 62.

XIII. _An Account of some of the Antiquities discovered at_
Herculaneum, &c. _In a Letter to_ Thomas Birch, _D.D. Secret.
R.S. By_ John Nixon, _A.M. F.R.S._ p. 88.

XIV. _An Account of the Effects of a Storm of Thunder and Lightning,
in the Parishes of_ Looe _and_ Lanreath, _in the County
of_ Cornwall, _on the 27th Day of_ June _1756. Communicated
to the Rev._ Jeremiah Milles, _D.D. F.R.S. in two Letters, one
from the Rev. Mr._ Dyer, _Minister of_ Looe, _and the
other from the Rev. Mr._ Milles, _Vicar of_ Duloe, _in_
Cornwall. p. 104.

XV. _An Account of the Peat-pit near_ Newbury _in_
Berkshire; _in an Extract of a Letter from_ John Collet, _M.D.
to the Right Reverend_ Richard _Lord Bishop of_ Ossory,
_F.R.S._ p. 109.

XVI. _An Account of the Alterations making in the_ Pantheon
_at_ Rome: _In an Extract of a Letter from_ Rome _to_
Thomas Hollis, _Esq; Communicated by_ John Ward, _LL.D. R.S.
Vice-Præs._ p. 115.

XVII. _An Account of a new medicinal Well, lately discovered
near_ Moffat, _in_ Annandale, _in the County of_
Dumfries. _By Mr._ John Walker, _of_ Borgue-house
_near_ Kirkudbright _in_ Scotland. p. 115.

XVIII. _An Account of the State of the Thermometer at the_ Hague
_on the 9th of_ January _1757. Extracted from a Letter of
Mr._ Abraham Trembley, _F.R.S. to_ Tho. Birch, _D.D. Secret.
R.S._ p. 148.

XIX. _Experimental Examination of_ Platina. _By_ William
Lewis, _M.B. F.R.S. Paper_ V. ibid.

XX. _Experimental Examination of_ Platina. _By_ William
Lewis, _M.B. F.R.S. Paper_ VI. p. 156.

XXI. _An Account of the Temple of_ Serapis _at_ Pozzuoli
_in the Kingdom of_ Naples: _In a Letter to_ John Ward,
_LL.D. and R.S. Vice-Præs. by the Rev._ John Nixon, _M.A.
F.R.S._ p. 166.

XXII. _Some Remarks on a_ Parthian _Coin with a_
Greek _and_ Parthian _Legend, never before published. In a
Letter from the Rev._ John Swinton, _M.A. of_ Christ-Church,
Oxon, _F.R.S. to the Rev._ Tho. Birch, _D.D. Secret. R.S._
p. 175.

XXIII. _An Account of a Red Coral from the_ East-Indies, _of a
very singular Kind: In a Letter from Mr._ John Ellis, _F.R.S. to
Mr._ Peter Collinson, _F.R.S._ p. 189.

XXIV. _An Account of the Effects of a Storm at_ Wigton _in_
Cumberland. _Communicated by Mr._ Philip Miller, _F.R.S._ p. 194.

XXV. _An Account of the Effects of Lightning upon the Steeple and
Church of_ Lestwithiel, Cornwall; _in a Letter to the Right
Honourable the Earl of_ Macclesfield, _President of the R.S. By
Mr._ John Smeaton, _F.R.S._ p. 198.

XXVI. _An Account of the Case of the late Right Honourable_
Horace _Lord_ Walpole; _being a Sequel to his own Account
published in the_ Philosophical Transactions, _Vol._ xlvii.
_p._ 43 _and_ 472. p. 205.

_Postscript to Dr._ Whytt_’s Observations on Lord_
Walpole_’s Case_. p. 385.

XXVII. _An Account of the Virtues of Soap in dissolving the Stone,
in the Case of the Rev. Mr._ Matthew Simpson. _Communicated
by_ John Pringle, _M.D. F.R.S._ p. 221.

XXVIII. _An Account of the Impressions of Plants on the Slates of
Coals: In a Letter to the Right Honorable_ George _Earl of_
Macclesfield, _President of the R.S. from Mr._ Emanuel Mendes da
Costa, _F.R.S._ p. 228.

XXIX. _A Catalogue of the Fifty Plants from_ Chelsea Garden,
_presented to the_ Royal Society _by the worshipful Company of
Apothecaries, for the Year_ 1756, _pursuant to the Direction of
Sir_ Hans Sloane, _Baronet, Med. Reg. & Soc. nuper Præses, by_
John Wilmer, _M.D. clariss. Societatis Pharmaceut. Lond. Socius,
Hort._ Chels. _Præfect. & Prælector Botan._ p. 236.

XXX. _Remarks on the Opinion of_ Henry Eeles, _Esq; concerning the
Ascent of Vapour, published in the_ Philosoph. Transact. _Vol._ xlix.
_Part_ i. _p._ 124. _By_ Erasmus Darwin, _M.D. Communicated by Mr._
William Watson, _F.R.S._ p. 240.

XXXI. _An Account of a new-discovered Species of the Snipe or
Tringa: In a Letter to the Rev._ Tho. Birch, _D.D. Secret.
R.S. from Mr._ Geo. Edwards, _Librarian of the College of
Physicians_. p. 255.

XXXII. _Observationes de Corallinis, iisque insidentibus Polypis,
aliisque Animalculis Marinis: Quas Regiæ Societati Londinensi
offert_ Job Baster, _Med. Doct. Acad. Cæsar. Reg. Societ. Lond. &
Scient. Holland. Socius._ p. 258.

XXXIII. _Remarks on Dr._ Job Baster’s Observationes de
Corallinis, &c. _In a Letter to the Right Hon._ George _Earl
of_ Macclesfield, _President of the R.S. from Mr._ John Ellis,
_F.R.S._ p. 280.

XXXIV. _An Account of an extraordinary Operation performed in the
Dock-Yard at_ Portsmouth: _Drawn up by Mr._ John Robertson,
_F.R.S._ p. 288.

XXXV. _Observations on an Evening, or rather Nocturnal, Solar_
Iris. _By Mr._ George Edwards, _Librarian of the College of
Physicians_. p. 293.

XXXVI. _The Effects of the_ Opuntia, _or Prickly Pear, and of
the_ Indigo _Plant, in colouring the Juices of living Animals.
Communicated by_ H. Baker, _F.R.S._ p. 296.

XXXVII. _An Account of an extrordinary Shower of black Dust, that
fell in the Island of_ Zetland _20th_ October 1755. _In a
Letter from Sir_ Andrew Mitchell, _of_ Westshore, _Bart.
to_ John Pringle, _M.D. F.R.S._ p. 297.

XXXVIII. _A Description of some Thermometers for particular Uses. By
the Right Honourable the Lord_ Charles Cavendish, _V.P.R.S._ p. 300.

XXXIX. _Observationes Anatomico-Medicæ de Monstro bicorporeo
Virgineo A. 1701. die 26_ Oct. _in_ Pannonia, _infra_
Comaromium, _in Possessione_ Szony, _quondam Quiritum_
Bregetione, _in lucem edito, atque A. 1723. die 23_ Febr. Posonii
_in Cœnobio Monialium_ S. Ursulæ _morte functo ibidemque
sepulto. Authore_ Justo Johanne Torkos, _M.D. Soc. Regalis
Socio._ p. 311.

XL. _Observations on the Origin and Use of the Lymphatic Vessels of
Animals: Being an Extract from the_ Gulstonian _Lectures, read
in the Theatre of the College of Physicians of_ London, _in_
June 1755. _By_ Mark Akenside, _M.D. Fellow of the College of
Physicians, and of the Royal Society_. p. 322.

XLI. _A Letter to the Right Honourable the Earl of_ Macclesfield,
_President, the_ Council, _and_ Fellows, _of the_ Royal
Society, _concerning the Variation of the Magnetic Needle; with a
Sett of Tables annexed, which exhibit the Result of upwards of Fifty
Thousand Observations, in Six periodic Reviews, from the Year 1700 to
the Year 1756, both inclusive; and are adapted to every Five Degrees
of Latitude and Longitude in the more frequented Oceans. By_
William Mountaine _and_ James Dodson, _Fellows of the Royal
Society_. p. 329.

XLII. _An account of some extraordinary Tumors upon the Head of a
labouring Man, now in_ St. Bartholomew’s _Hospital. By_ James
Parsons, _M.D. F.R.S._ p. 350.

XLIII. _An Extract of the Register of the Parish of_ Great
Shefford, _near_ Lamborne, _in_ Berkshire, _for Ten Years:
With Observations on the same: In a Letter to_ Tho. Birch, _D.D.
Secret. R.S. from the Rev. Mr._ Richard Foster, _Rector of_
Great Shefford. p. 356.

XLIV. _A remarkable Case of an Aneurism, or Disease of the principal
Artery of the Thigh, occasioned by a Fall. To which is prefixed a
short Account of the Uncertainty of the distinguishing Symptoms of
this Disease. By_ Jos. Warner, _F.R.S. and Surgeon to_ Guy’s
Hospital. p. 363.

XLV. _Farther Experiments for increasing the Quantity of Steam in a
Fire-Engine. By_ Keane Fitz-Gerald, _Esq; F.R.S._ p. 370.

XLVI. _Observatio Eclipsis Lunæ Die 27_ Martii, _Ann. 1755.
habita Ulissipone in Domo Patrum Congregationis Oratorii à_ Joanne
Chevalier _ejusdem Congregationis Presbytero, Regiæ_ Londinensis
_Societatis Socio, Regiæque_ Parisiensis _Scientiarum Academiæ
correspondente_. p. 374.

XLVII. _Eclipsis Lunæ Die_ 4 Februarii, _Ann._ 1757.
_habita Ulissipone à_ Joanne Chevalier _Presbytero
Congregationis Oratorii, Regiæ_ Londinensis _Societatis Socio,
Regiæque Scientiarum_ Parisiensis _Acadaemiæ correspondente, et
a_ Theodoro de Almeida _ejusdem Congregationis Presbytero, ac
Physicæ publico Professore_ p. 376.

_Observationes Eclipsium Satellitum Jovis Ulissipone habitæ a_
Joanne Chevalier, _&c._ p. 377.

XLVIII. _Observationes Eclipsium Satellitum Jovis Ulissipone habitæ
à_ Joanne Chevalier, _Presbytere Congregationis Oratorii,
Regiæque_ Londinensis _Societatis Socio, Anno_ 1757. p. 378.

XLIX. _A remarkable Case of the Efficacy of the Bark in a
Mortification: In a Letter to_ William Watson, _M.D. F.R.S. from Mr._
Richard Grindall, _Surgeon to the_ London _Hospital_. p. 379.

L. _A Letter to the Rev._ Tho. Birch, _D.D. Secret. R.S. from_ John
Pringle, _M.D. F.R.S. inclosing Two Papers communicated to him by_
Robert Whytt, _M.D. F.R.S._ p. 383.

1. _Some Observations on the lithontriptic Virtue of the_ Carlsbad
_Waters, Lime-water, and Soap: In Letter to Dr._ John Pringle,
_F.R.S. from Dr._ Robert Whytt, _F.R.S. and Professor of Medicine
in the University of_ Edinburgh. p. 386.

2. _An Instance of the Electrical Virtue in the Cure of a Palsy. By
Mr._ Patrick Brydone. p. 392.

LI. _An Account of some fossil Fruits, and other Bodies, found in the
Island of_ Shepey. _By_ James Parsons, _M.D. F.R.S._ p. 396.

LII. _Observations on the Comet, that appeared in the Months of_
September _and_ October 1757, _made at the Royal Observatory by_ Ja.
Bradley, _D.D. Astronomer Royal, F.R.S. and Member of the Royal Academy
of Sciences at_ Paris. p. 408.

LIII. _The Resolution of a General Proposition for determining
the_ horary _Alteration of the Position of the Terrestrial
Equator, from the Attraction of Sun and Moon: With some Remarks on
the Solutions given by other Authors to that difficult and important
Problem. By Mr._ Tho. Simpson, _F.R.S._ p. 416.

LIV. _Remarks upon the Heat of the Air in_ July 1757, _in an Extract
of a Letter from_ John Huxham, _M.D. F.R.S. to_ William Watson, _M.D.
F.R.S. dated at_ Plymouth _19th of the same Month. With additional
Remarks by Dr._ Watson. p. 428.

LV. _Remarks upon the Letter of Mr._ John Ellis, _F.R.S. to_ Philip
Carteret Webb, _Esq; F.R.S. printed in the_ Philosophical Transactions,
_Vol._ xlix. _Part_ ii. _p._ 806. _By Mr._ Philip Miller, _F.R.S._
p. 430.

LVI. _An Answer to the preceding Remarks. By Mr._ John Ellis, _F.R.S._
p. 441.

LVII. _A Letter to the Rev._ Tho. Birch, _D.D. Secr. R.S. concerning
the Number of the People of_ England; _by the Rev. Mr._ Richard
Forster, _Rector of_ Great Shefford _in_ Berkshire. p. 457.

LVIII. _A Letter to the Right Honourable the Earl of_ Macclesfield,
_President of the_ Royal Society, _from the Rev._ William Brakenridge,
_D.D. F.R.S. containing an Answer to the Account of the Numbers and
Increase of the People of_ England, _by the Rev. Mr._ Forster.
p. 465.

ERRATA.

_Page_ 95. _line_ 24. _read_ even the ends of the umbilici.

_Page_ 96. _line_ 5. _read_ exposed the extremity of the umbilicus.

_Page_ 168. _line_ 4. _after_ as _dele_ well as.

_Page_ 328. _line_ 9 _from the bottom, for_ stream _read_ steam.

_In the Tables of the Variation of the Magnetic Needle, Anno_ 1756,

Lat. Long.
0--70E _for Var._ 3¼W _read_ 2¾W. _Read the same in p._ 333.
15N 35W ---- 3½W ---- 2½W
5S 40E ---- 17W ---- 18W
30S 15E ---- 18W ---- 17½W
35S 10W ---- 5½W ---- 5W
35S 45E ---- 26½W ---- 26W

PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS.

I. _An Account of the Earthquake felt in_ New England, _and the neighbouring Parts of_ America, _on the 18th of_ November 1755. _In a Letter to_ Tho. Birch, _D.D. Secret. R.S. by Mr. Professor_ Winthrop, _of_ Cambridge _in_ New England.

[Read Jan. 13, 1757.]

Reverend Sir,

I Beg leave to lay before you the best account I am able to give of the great earthquake, which shook New England, and the neighbouring parts of America, on Tuesday the 18th day of November 1755, about a quarter after four in the morning. I deferred writing till this time, in order to obtain the most distinct information of the several particulars relating to it, both here and in the other places where it was felt; and especially the extent of it.

The night, in which this earthquake happened, was perfectly calm and serene. In the evening there was a fog over the marshes bordering on the river Charles, which runs through this town: but this I found intirely dissipated at the time of the earthquake, the air being then quite clear, and the moon, which wanted but 36ʰ of the full, shining very bright. The earthquake began with a roaring noise in the N.W. like thunder at a distance; and this grew fiercer, as the earthquake drew nearer; which was almost a minute in coming to this place, as near as I can collect from one of my neighbours, who was then on the road in this town. He tells me, that, as soon as he heard the noise, he stopt, knowing, that it was an earthquake, and waiting for it; and he reckoned he had stood still about 2’, when the noise seemed to overtake him, and the earth began to tremble under him: but, as I doubted, whether it were so long, I counted several numbers to him as slowly as a clock beats seconds; and then he said, he believed he could have counted half an hundred, at that rate, before the noise and shake came up to him. By his account, as well as that of others, the first motion of the earth was what may be called a pulse, or rather an undulation; and resembled (to use his own comparison) that of a long rolling, swelling sea; and the swell was so great, that he was obliged to run and catch hold of something, to prevent being thrown down. The tops of two trees close by him, one of which is 25, the other 30 feet high, he thinks waved at least ten feet (and I depend on his judgment in this particular, because he judged right of the height of the trees, as I found by actual mensuration); and there were two of these great wavings, succeeded by one, which was smaller. This sort of motion, after having continued, as has been conjectured, about a minute, abated a little; so that I, who was just then waked, and, I suppose, most others, imagined, that the height of the shock was past. But instantly, without a moment’s intermission, the shock came on with redoubled noise and violence; though the species of it was altered to a tremor, or quick horizontal vibratory motion, with sudden jerks and wrenches. The bed, on which I lay, was now tossed from side to side; the whole house was prodigiously agitated; the windows rattled, the beams cracked, as if all would presently be shaken to pieces. When this had continued about 2’, it began to abate, and gradually kept decreasing, as if it would be soon over: however, before it had quite ceased, there was a little revival of the trembling and noise, though no-ways comparable to what had been before: but this presently decreased, till all, by degrees, became still and quiet. Thus ended this great shock. It was followed by another about an hour and a quarter after, viz. at 5ʰ 29’. This, though comparatively small, was very generally perceived, both as to its noise and trembling, by those who were awake. On the Saturday evening following, viz. the 22d of November, at 27’ after eight, there was a third, more considerable than the second, but not to be compared with the first. And on Friday the 19th of December in the evening, exactly at ten o’ clock, there was a fourth shock, much smaller than either of the former, though, like them, preceded by the peculiar noise of an earthquake. The whole lasted but a few seconds; but the jarring was great enough to cause the window-shutters and door of the room, in which I then was, to clatter. The sky was perfectly clear, and there was a very gentle and scarcely-perceptible gale at S.W. These four are the only shocks, that I have been sensible of from the 18th of November last to this date; tho’ more are said to have been felt in other parts of the country to the northward of us.

As to the duration of the great shock, people have differed widely, viz. from 1’ to 6 or 7. Our printed accounts have generally fixed it to about 2’, or 3 at the most; but as these were only the uncertain guesses of persons, who had no rule to guess by, no dependence can be had on them. I am well satisfied, that with us it continued 4’, or rather 4’ 1-half; taking in the whole of the time, from the first agitation of the earth till it was become perfectly quiet; tho’ the violence of the shock did not last above half so long. This I am assured of, partly from the observations of some gentlemen, who were up, and looked on their watches, when it began and ended; one of whom tells me it was 4’, and another, that it was near 5; and partly from my own observations, which were as follow. The preceding noon I had adjusted both my clock and watch to the apparent time, by a meridian line; and the following noon I found, that the watch had kept time exactly. Being awaked by the earthquake, I lay till the violence of it seemed to be over for the second time, the first abatement happening just after I waked. Till then I forbore to rise, because the agitation was so vehement, that I concluded it would be difficult, if not impracticable, to go from the bed to the chimney, without being thrown down; and therefore thought it best not to attempt it. The space of time, in which I lay awake, I cannot think to be much, if any thing, less than 2’. This was the conjecture I formed at that time; though, it being but conjecture, I would not lay very great stress upon it, were it not supported by concurring observations. On the second abatement I rose, and lighting a candle, looked on my watch, and found it to be 15’ after four. The shock then was not quite over, but the windows continued rattling for about a minute longer, as near as I can remember; for the shock went off very gradually. As soon as I had looked on the watch, I went directly to the clock, which was in another chamber, that I might see whether that agreed with the watch, and found that it was stopt at 4ʰ 11’ 35’'. Its stopping, however, was not immediately owing to the violence of the shock, though several clocks, and watches too, at Boston, are said to have been stopped by it, but to the following accident: Having some time before used a pretty long glass tube, in a particular experiment, I had shut it up in the clock-case for security; and this tube, being overthrown by the earthquake, lodged against the pendulum, and stopt its motion. By this accident, the beginning of the earthquake, I conceive, is determined with all the exactness, that can be desired; for, so far as I can learn, the first shake was violent enough to overset so tall, slender a body, and standing in a position so near a perpendicular, as that tube; and it was impossible for the pendulum to make one oscillation, after the tube had struck against it. But I am not able to fix the end, nor consequently the duration, with the same exactness: however, from the time, when the clock stopt, to my looking on the watch, it was about 3’ 1-half; and the jarring was not quite over till about a minute after this: so that I think I speak within bounds, if I say, that this shock with us lasted at least 4’. In other places, its duration might possibly be different. I was careful to note the time, when we had it, as exactly as I could, in hopes, that, by comparing it with the like accounts from distant places, we might be able to judge, with a good degree of exactness, of the course of this earthquake, the place of its origin, and the velocity of its progress. But all the accounts of the time, which I have yet seen, are so very lax, that no just conclusions can be drawn from them, with respect to either of these points. What I have been able to collect with relation to them, I shall set down presently.

Those, who suppose the duration much shorter, as 1’ 1-half, or 2’, urge, that a minute is a longer space of time than most people are aware of; which is very true: but it should also be considered, that if we judge the length of any space of time by the number of ideas, which pass through our minds in that time; a very great fright,--a fright so great, as to take intire possession of the mind for a time, and shut out every idea except that of the present danger, will make us judge the time to be much shorter than it really is. And this, I make no doubt, was the case with many; the surprise, into which they were thrown, being such, as to keep out every idea, except that, which happened to strike their minds with the greatest force at the beginning. Thus, several perceived no noise distinct from that, which was occasioned by the crackling of their houses, and the disturbance of the moveables in them; while others, who were waked by the noise, and ran from one room to another, have told me, that they felt nothing at all of the shake. For this reason, the conjectures, which persons in these circumstances made, as to the duration of the shock, ought not to be put into the balance with the actual observations made by watches.

The course of this earthquake seems to have been nearly from N.W. to S.E. My neighbour before-mentioned, who was then abroad, and informed me, that the noise began about the N.W. told me at the same time, that it passed off towards the S.E. and that he heard the noise in that quarter gradually abating, as it became more distant, for about the same space of time after the shock was over here, as he heard it in the N.W. before the shock began here. Other accounts, which I have since met with, agree with this. Those, who were in such clear open places, could make the best judgment in this matter; for such, as were within doors, or surrounded with buildings, might easily be misled by the various reflections of the sound. I am induced to give the greater credit to this information by what I observed myself: for a key, which was thrown from off a shelf in my house, was found at a place on the floor, which bore very near N.W. of the place, from which it fell; though the situation of it before its fall was such, that it might have been thrown in any direction, except towards the S.E.

An account, which we have lately received from the West-Indies, agrees very well with the supposition, that our earthquake proceeded south-eastward. The account is, that 'on the 18th of November, about two o’clock in the afternoon, the sea withdrew from the harbour of St. Martin’s, leaving the vessels dry, and fish on the banks, where there used to be three or four fathom water; and continued out a considerable time; so that the people retired to the high land, fearing the consequence of its return; and when it came in, it arose six feet higher than usual, so as to overflow the low lands. There was no shock felt at the above time.’ As this extraordinary motion of the sea happened about 9ʰ after our great shock, it seems very likely to have been occasioned by the same convulsion of the earth. Now if this earthquake went off south-eastward into the Atlantic, it must have passed considerably to the eastward of St. Martin’s; and, in fact, it did not reach that island, there being no shock felt there. The motion of the sea then was owing to a great agitation raised at a considerable distance in some part or other of the ocean, where the earthquake passed, and from thence propagated to that island. Nor is the length of time greater than what seems to be necessary for this effect. The earthquake itself, at the rate it moved with us, would be some hours in going from hence to the distance of St. Martin’s: for sound would be about 2¼ʰ in moving to such a distance; and the progress of the earthquake was slower than that of sound, as appears from hence, that the roar of this earthquake arrived here near a minute before the shake. The rest of the 9ʰ might well be spent in conveying the motion excited in the water, from the place where it was excited, to St. Martin’s; for the waves raised thereby could not move with near the velocity of sound.

It is worthy of remark, that, of the five great earthquakes, which this country has felt since its settlement by the English, two have gone nearly in the same track as this last did. The first, which was on June 2. 1638, 'came from the northward, and passed southward.’ By the description given of it, it was very much like our late earthquake, only perhaps not quite so violent. 'The noise and shakes of the earthquake, October 29. 1727, seemed,’ it is said, 'to come from the north-westward, and to go off south-easterly; and so the houses seemed to reel.’ As to the great earthquakes of 1658 and 1662, we have no account of the courses, which they went in. But, from the other three, it may be reasonably conjectured, that the source of our earthquakes, or the place in which they originate, is in some part of Canada, or perhaps beyond it.

The extent of this earthquake seems to have been greater than that of any of our former earthquakes. This province of the Massachusetts-bay, or rather the province of New Hampshire, about the latitude of 43° north on the sea-coast, seems to have been the center of it, or the place of its greatest violence, and the shake to have been less considerable each way from hence towards the S. W. and N. E. By the accounts we have from the S. W. the shock was less at New York than it was with us; and still less at Philadelphia, which is farther towards the S. W. By the best information I can procure, the limit toward the S. W. was Chesopeak-bay in Maryland, the shock having been felt on the eastern side of that bay, and not on the western. For the other limit toward the N. E. we are informed, that the earthquake was felt at Annapolis Royal in Nova Scotia, though in a much less degree than with us. It shook off a few bricks from the tops of some chimnies, but was not perceived by vessels on the water. And a letter from Halifax says, 'The earthquake, which happened in the W. extended itself to this place, tho’ scarcely perceivable here.’ But it was not at all felt by our army, which lay encamped at Seganecto, about 100 miles N. from Halifax. Thus Halifax seems to have been very near the N. E. limit. I am not able to ascertain its eastern and western limits; but it extended to all our back inland settlements; and was perceived, though in a very small degree, by our army at Lake George, distant from hence about 130 miles N. W. by W. But it was not felt at all at the British fort of Oswego, situate on the south-eastern shore of Lake Ontario, and distant from hence about 230 miles W. by N. So great was the shock in the Atlantic, 70 leagues to the E. of Cape Anne, that the people on board a vessel there were suddenly surprised, just at the time of our earthquake, supposing they had run a-ground; till, on throwing over the lead, they found they had more than 50 fathom water. The extent of the earthquake E. and W. from Halifax to Lake George was about 550 miles; and its extent along the sea-coast, from N.E. to S.W. at least 800 miles. But if the agitation of the water at St. Martin’s was occasioned by our earthquake continued into the Atlantic, as was conjectured above, its extent, in a direction toward the S. S. E. must have been at last 1900 miles.

I shall now proceed to mention the principal effects of this earthquake, for which I can find sufficient vouchers; for many strange things have been related, which, upon examination, appear to be without foundation. Besides the throwing down of glass, pewter, and other moveables in the houses, many chimnies were levelled with the roofs of the houses, and many more shattered, and thrown down in part. Some were broken off several feet below the top, and, by the suddenness and violence of the jerks, canted horizontally an inch or two over, so as to stand very dangerously. Some others were twisted, or turned round in part. The roofs of some houses were quite broken in by the fall of chimnies; and the gable ends of some brick buildings thrown down, and many more cracked. Throughout the whole country, the stone fences were more or less thrown down. The vane upon the public market-house in Boston was thrown down; the wooden spindle, which supported it, about five inches in diameter, and which had stood the most violent gusts of wind, being snapt off. A new vane, upon one of the churches in Boston, was bent at its spindle two or three points of the compass; and another at Springfield, distant about 80 miles westerly from Boston, was bent to a right angle. A distillers cistern, made of plank, almost new, and very strong put together, was burst to pieces by the agitation of the liquor in it; which was thrown out with such force, as to break down one whole side of the shed, that defended the cistern from the weather; as also to stave off a board or two from a fence at the distance of eight or ten feet from it. In some parts of the country, particularly at Pembroke and Scituate, about 25 miles S.E. from hence, there were several chasms or openings made in the earth, from some of which water has issued, and many cart-loads of a fine whitish sort of sand. These are the principal effects of this earthquake on the land, some of which argue a very quick and violent motion of the earth. Tho’ the degree of violence was doubtless different in different places, yet, that I might make some estimate of it with us, I measured the greatest distance on the ground, to which any of the bricks, which were thrown off from the tops of my chimnies, had reached, and found it to be 30 feet, and the height from which they fell was 32 feet. Now since bodies fall thro’ 16 feet nearly in 1" of time; and the times, in which they fall through other heights, are in the subduplicate ratio of those heights; it follows, that the velocity, wherewith those bricks were thrown off, was that of above 21 feet in 1" of time: for the subduplicate ratio of 32 to 16 is the same as the simple ratio of 30 to a little more than 21. But the velocity was less at less heights: for the key before spoken of, as thrown from off a shelf in a chamber in my house, was not thrown so far, in proportion to the height thro’ which it fell, as the bricks were from the top of the chimnies; and in my lower rooms nothing was thrown down, but a small bell in the garret was made to ring by it. Hence it appears, that our buildings were rocked with a kind of angular motion, like that of a cradle; the upper parts of them moving swifter, or thro’ greater spaces in the same time, than the lower; the natural consequence of an undulatory motion of the earth.

But the agitation occasioned by this earthquake was not confined to the land: it was very sensible on the water, and even at considerable distances in the ocean. The vessels in our harbours were so shaken, that it seemed to those, who were in them, as if they were beating on the bottom. Some, that were in the bay, coming in from sea, thought they had run upon rocks or sands. One very uncommon effect of this concussion is related by several of our seafaring men, that almost immediately after the earthquake, large numbers of fish of different sorts, both great and small, came up to the surface of the water, some dead, and others dying.

The center of our former earthquakes, as well as of this, seems to have been near the river Merrimac, about the latitude of 43° north, and 40 miles north from hence; many shocks having been felt in that neighbourhood, which did not extend to this place. The late Rev. Mr. Plant of Newbury, which is situated at the mouth of that river, has given a very particular journal, in _Philos. Transact._ Nº. 462. of the shocks felt there from 1727 to 1741, few of which were perceived here or at Boston. I remember none after the memorable 29th October 1727, beside that on 30th January 1728, about two in the afternoon; and that on 5th September 1732, which, by his account, did considerable damage at Montreal in Canada, but it was very small at Boston. That also on 6th February 1737, about a quarter past four in the afternoon, which he calls a considerable shock, was perceived at Boston; and so was that on 7th December following, a little before 11 in the night. From the conclusion of Mr. Plant’s journal, till the earthquake which is the subject of this letter, I know of none, but that which happened on Sunday June 3, 1744, at a quarter after ten in the morning. The roar of this was as loud as any I ever heard, but the shake not so great. The day was very fair and hot, with a little wind in the morning at W.S.W. which in the afternoon came round to N.N.W. The season preceding was hot and dry, there having been no rain from 23d May. On the 1st June, at four in the afternoon, Hauksbee’s thermometer stood at 5,2; on the 2d, at five in the afternoon, it was at 1, with high wind at S.W.; on the 3d, at eight in the morning, it was at 19,8; and at six 1-half in the afternoon at 3,8. From the 1st June to the 2d, at the hours just mentioned, the barometer had fallen from 29,92 to 29,82; from which time it continued rising till the 4th at eight in the morning, when it was got up to 30,12; being, at the time of the earthquake, at 29,94. The rest of the month the weather was in general very hot, with many thunder-showers.

As the late Hon. Judge Dudley, who has given a very just account of the great earthquake of 29 Oct. 1727, in _Philos. Trans._ Nº. 437, has inserted an account of the weather in the preceding part of that year; and as our last earthquake happened at the same time of the year as that did, within 8 or 9 days (regard being had to the difference between the Julian and Gregorian styles); I hope it will not be disagreeable, if I give an account of our weather the last year: in doing which, I shall follow, as near as may be, Mr. Dudley’s method, setting down the particulars in corresponding columns, that so a comparison may more easily be made between these two years.

WEATHER in

November began with cold and wet, there falling, in the eleven first days 3,404 inches of rain; and on the 11th in the morning there was thunder and lightning with the rain; and at a quarter past two in the afternoon, the barometer was at 29,46; which was lower than it had been since the 15th of October. From thence, till the day of the earthquake, my diary stands thus:

November 1755.

|Hauksb.|
D. H. Barom.|Therm. |Wind.|Weather. |Rain, &c.
-------+------+-------+-----+------------------------------+----------
12 7¾ M|29,78 |63,7 | W 1|Very fair. Somewhat foggy. | ,003
2¾ E| 82 |51,7 | W 1|Fair. |
13 9 M|30,14 |68 | NW 2|Very fair. |
6¼ E| 21 |56,8 |NNW 1|Clear. |
14 8½ M| 42 |69,4 | 0|Fair. |
1½ E| 45 |59 | NE 2|Very cloudy. |
8¾ E| 5 | . . | NE 1|Clear. |
15 8½ M| 4 |74,6 | 0|Cloudy. Hazy. White frost. |
4 E| 32 |60,5 | E 1|Very fair. |
16 0¼ M| 27 |70,8 | 0|Foggy. |
2 E| 28 |59,9 | N 1|Fair. | ,013
9¼ E| 32 | .. | N 1|Fair with clouds. Foggy. |
17 8 M| 3 |70,1 | N 1|Cover’d. Foggy. |
1½ E| 27 |59 | E 1|Very fair. Evenᵍ somewhᵗ foggy.| ,001
18 4¼ M| 17 |74,1 | 0|Clear. A violent earthquake. |
8 M| 16 |78 | 0|Very fair. Great white frost. |
3¼ E| 11 |58,3 | E 1|Very fair and hazy. | ,017
10 E| 08 |69,1 | 0|Clear. Somewhat hazy. |

From this time the barometer rose till the 20th, when, at 8¼ M. it was up at 30,44, the sky covered, wind N 2. Then it fell till the 23d at 6½ E, when it was so low as 28,87; which was lower than it had been since the 6th of February last. The afternoon of the 22d, and night following, when we had another shock, it was calm, and rained 1,205 inches. This leads me to observe, that though the _serenity_, as well as _calmness_, of the air, is a circumstance taken notice of in many earthquakes, both in this and in other parts of the world; yet it does not always obtain, at least in the smaller shocks, and, so far as I have had opportunity to observe, the _calmness_ of the air has more constantly attended upon earthquakes, than its _clearness_. The white frost on the morning of the earthquake, which, when melted, I found to be of the depth of 17/1000 of an inch, was almost double of any white frost we have had for seven years past, and about five or six times as great as we commonly have. The barometer and thermometer underwent no alteration at the time of the earthquake: only, my barometer, which has an open cistern of quicksilver, and stood in a chamber, was so agitated, that part of the quicksilver was dashed over the sides of the cistern, and scattered upon the floor. This cistern was a cylindric cup, whose sides were an inch higher than the surface of the quicksilver.

I shall not pretend to make a comparison between the weather of the two fore-mentioned years, nor inquire how far Mr. Dudley’s conjecture (_Phil. Trans._ Nº. 437. p. 66.), as to the influence of the weather in producing the earthquake of 1727, might be affected by such a comparison. I choose to leave this to you, Sir, and to the other gentlemen of the Royal Society, who, I know, are much better able to make a proper judgment in this matter; and beg leave to subscribe, with the greatest respect to that illustrious Society and yourself,

Reverend Sir,
Your most obedient,
and most humble Servant,
John Winthrop.

Cambridge _in_ New England, 10 Jan. 1756.

II. _The strange Effects of some effervescent Mixtures; in a Letter from Dr._ James Mounsey, _Physician of the_ Russian _Army, and F.R.S. to Mr._ Henry Baker, _F.R.S. Communicated by Mr._ Baker.

Moscow, Sept. 20th, 1756.

[Read Jan. 20, 1757.]

MR. Butler, a paper-stainer, trying to make some discoveries for the better fixing of colours, was put in great danger of his life by the following experiments:

Having put into one gallipot a quarter of an ounce of verdegris, and into another pot two leaves of false-gold leaf, to each he poured about a spoonful of aqua-fortis. They began immediately to ferment, especially the gold-leaf. He was very assiduous in stirring them, to make the solution perfect. Having nothing else at hand, he did this with a pair of small scissars, at arm’s length, carefully turning away his face, to prevent the fumes from entering his lungs. He was called away, about other business, before he had quite ended his process; and soon after washed and shifted himself: but had scarce finished before he felt a burning pain in the ring-finger of his right hand, which he imputed to his having inadvertently touched the aqua-fortis. This increased every moment, and affected the whole hand with burning pain and swelling, which very soon subsided; but then it flew into the left hand, and, a few minutes afterwards, into the insides of his legs, as if scalding water had been thrown on them. His stockings being immediately pulled off, there appeared a great many red spots, as large as six-pences, something raised above the skin, and all covered with very small blisters.

In about two hours after the accident, I first saw him: he was very uneasy, complaining of pain, and great anxiety, at the pit of the stomach, as if a burning hot iron was laid on it: so he expressed himself. His pulse was regular, but slower and weaker than natural: he had a nausea, and complained of a very coppery smell and taste. I ordered some alcaline volatile medicines, and to drink small sack-whey. He vomited once, and had four or five stools, and then his stomach grew easy. But the scene soon began again with lancing pain in the left eye. He continued the same medicines, drank plentifully of the whey, and was kept in a breathing sweat, by which he found some ease at night: but whenever the sweating lessened, the burning pains returned in broad flakes, changing from one part of the body to the other; sometimes with shootings in his eye, and sometimes along the penis, but he had no heat of urine. His pulse continued regular, but weak; and in several places of his body such kind of spots struck out as those on his legs.

Monday, the third day, in the morning, after sleeping well, his pulse was somewhat raised, and he continued easy till about eleven o’ clock, when the burning pains returned, shooting from place to place; but always so superficial, that he could not distinguish whether it was in or under the skin. Rubbing the part affected with one’s hand gave ease: but when the sweating went off, and the burnings and shootings became insufferable, I always put him into a bath of hot water, with some wood ashes, kept ready in the room; which gave him great relief. This afternoon he felt violent burning pain in his great toes, and sometimes in his left hand, with shootings up to the shoulder. Once he cried out, in great pain, that his shoulder was burst; for he felt something fly out with a sort of explosion: but, examining the part, I found nothing particular. He observed, when the flaky burnings began, they were as if they kindled from a point, and flashed like lightning, as he termed it. He was very often tormented with such pains on the pit of the stomach; and this evening had shootings thro’ the back, with a pain in the belly. He complained of a strong sulphurous smell, which, he said, was like to suffocate him; tho’ his breathing seemed easy, and his lungs no way affected. In the night he was seized with great pain about the heart, and cried out violently, that his heart was on fire: but after taking a dose of nervous medicines, and being put into the bath, he was soon freed from this, and passed the rest of the night tolerably well. At the time of such violent attacks the pulse continued regular, but still slower and softer than usual.

Tuesday. He complained most of his toes, and now and then burning pains in the forehead.

Wednesday. This whole day it continued most in the toes of the left foot; but in the evening the pain on the stomach returned, which lanced to the left side, with dartings inwardly. He became so uneasy and restless, that I was obliged to add some opium to the other medicines; which answered very well.

Thursday. The pains kept most in the toes of the left foot.

Friday. Nothing particular, except his feeling, with sharp pain, a spark (as he called it) fly out of his right cheek, in the same way, he said, as that, which burst on his shoulder, but much less. He perceived no pain in that part before this; nor any thing after, besides a soreness, which lasted for some days. Hitherto he had been kept in a continual sweat: his appetite was greater than his allowance, his digestion good; and his rest indifferent. From this time he was not attacked by any violent symptoms; and could be quiet, tho’ he did not sweat.

On Sunday he began to get out of bed; but was often seized with glowing pains, suddenly affecting different parts of the body; which seldom continued an hour in one part, but shifted from place to place: these he was troubled with, in a less degree, even long after he went abroad.

By care and watchfulness the violence of the symptoms were kept under; and, by the use of antidotes for poisons of the nature of what he received this from, the disease was overcome, and the patient recovered his perfect health and strength.

III. _Extract of a Letter of_ J. Wall, _M. D. to the Rev. Dr._ Lyttelton, _Dean of_ Exeter, _and F.R.S. concerning the good Effects of_ Malverne _Waters in_ Worcestershire.

Worcester, Dec. 22. 1756.

[Read Jan. 20, 1757.]

SIR,

THE Malverne Water much deserves encouragement, several very extraordinary cures having been done by it lately. I propose to make a collection of the principal, and publish them, as an appendix to my little treatise. Amongst other remarkable instances of their great effects are the following, which have happened this year. A poor woman, formerly a patient in our infirmary for a fistulous ulcer in the hip, and another in the groin, which penetrated the abdomen, has received her cure there, tho’ she was reduced to so great a degree, as to be thought incurable, and sent into the country on a milk-diet, _&c._ as the last resource. The discharge from the sores was prodigiously great, and so offensive, that she could hardly be borne in a room. The water took off the ill smell almost instantly; the discharge soon lessened, and grew thick and well-conditioned; her hectic symptoms went off in proportion; and, by continuing the use of the water for five or six months, she is cured.

A woman with a phagedenic ulcer in the cheek, throat, and nose, from an ozæna in the hollow of the cheek-bone, received great relief this year, in five or six weeks time; the external ulcer, which had almost destroyed the whole cheek, being healed in that time, and the other parts much amended. Her affairs would not permit her a longer continuance at the well; but she continues the use of the water at home, and finds great relief from it there. I hope another season will complete the cure.

Mr. Parry, of Clent, had his skin cleared, and perfectly healed, in five weeks; tho’, when he came to the well, he was covered with an elephantiasis; for which he had tried most of the purging waters, and sea-water, under the direction of Dr. Russell, without effect. So bad was he, that he could not move a limb but the skin cracked, and ouzed out a filthy sanies; and he left the mark of his body every night in his bed. The waters have also had another very surprising effect on him: for they have been his Helicon, and converted him into a poet; he having written a poem on the occasion, which he shewed to Lord Foley and Dr. Dalton.

I know a Lady, who, we had great reason to fear, had an internal cancer, who has lately received great advantage from the use of these waters, after other things had been tried unsuccessfully.

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Philosophical transactions, Vol. L. Part I. For the year 1757.Chapter I: Part 1

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