Micrographia - Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies Made by Magnifying Glasses with Observations and Inquiries Thereupon by Robert Hooke
page 77 of 465 (16%)
page 77 of 465 (16%)
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concurrent_; therefore is probably the principal (if not the only) cause of
these _Phænomena_. This therefore being thus explained, there will be divers _Phænomena_ explicable thereby, as, the rising of _Liquors_ in a _Filtre_, the rising of _Spirit of Wine_, _Oyl_, _melted Tallow_, &c. in the _Week_ of a _Lamp_, (though made of small _Wire_, _Threeds_ of _Asbestus_, _Strings_ of _Glass_, or the like) the rising of _Liquors_ in a _Spunge_, piece of _Bread_, _Sand_, &c. perhaps also the ascending of the _Sap_ in _Trees_ and _Plants_, through their small, and some of them _imperceptible pores_, (of which I have said more, on another occasion) at least the passing of it out of the earth into their roots. And indeed upon the consideration of this Principle, multitudes of other uses of it occurr'd to me, which I have not yet so well examined and digested as to propound for _Axioms_, but only as _Queries_ and _Conjectures_ which may serve as _hints_ toward some further _discoveries_. As first, Upon the consideration of the _congruity_ and _incongruity_ of Bodies, as to _touch_, I found also the like _congruity_ and _incongruity_ (if I may so speak) as to the _Transmitting_ of the _Rates_ of Light: For as in this regard, _water_ (not now to mention other Liquors) seems nearer of affinity to _Glass_ then _Air_, and _Air_ then _Quicksilver_: whence an _oblique Ray_ out of _Glass_, will pass into _water_ with very little _refraction_ from the _perpendicular_, but none out of _Glass_ into _Air_, excepting a _direct_, will pass without a very great refraction from the perpendicular, nay any oblique Ray under thirty degrees, will not be admitted into the Air at all. And _Quicksilver_ will neither admit oblique or direct, but reflects all; seeming, as to the transmitting of the Raies of Light, to be of a quite differing constitution, from that of _Air_, _Water_, _Glass_, &c. and to resemble most those opacous and strong |
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