Essays and observations on the construction and graduation of thermometers, and on the heating and cooling of bodies / By George Martine, M.D.

  • George Martine
Date:
1787
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Essays and observations on the construction and graduation of thermometers, and on the heating and cooling of bodies / By George Martine, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    14/192 (page 4)
    ill! thefe by their rffpec^ive favourers and admir- ers*. At firfl, a.s is the fate of all other inventions, i'hcrmometcrs were hut rude and imperfec'l ma- chines, and not eafily to be applied to fo many pur- poles as came afterwards to be in ufe. They were very clumfy; and, as the various degrees of heat were pointed by the difierent contraction or expan- iion of air, tirey came afterwards to be found un- certain, and lomctimts deceiving meafuresof heat j us the bulk of air was affedled not only by the dif- * The invention is given to Drebbel by his coun- trymen Boerhaave (Chem. I. 152, 156.) and MulT- chenbroek (Tent. Exp. Acad. Cim. Add. p. 8. EIT. de Phyf. § 946.). Fulgenzio (Life of Father Paul, p. m. 158.) aferibes it to his mafter Father Paul Sar- pi, that great oracle of the republic of Venice. But there was an humour prevailed, in thofe days, of fa- thering alinoft all the curious difcoverles of the age on that great flatcfman and virtuofo. Vincenzio Vi- vian! (Vit de 1’ Galil. p. 67. See too Open dl-Ga- Jil. Pref. p. 47.) fpeaks of Galileo as the inventor of Thermometers. But we know how much and how fondly he adored the memory of his j^-<*at mafter. (See Hid. A-cad. dcs Scien. 1703, p. 169, 175, 176, 180). Still all thefc are pofthumous claims,and they too imputed by others, but Samftorio himfelF (Com. in Galen, Art. Med. p. 736, 842. Com. in Avicen. Can. Fen. I. p. 22, 78, 2iy.) cxprefsly aftumes tlie inveutior»rn rpicftion. .And I’creUi (de Mot, Animaf. ] r. Prop. 175.) and Malpighi (Oper. Poftli. p. 30 ) aferibe it to Ivim without referve. And thefe Floren- tine academicians are not to he fnfpecled of jtarlialf- ty in favour of one of the Patavinian fchool. ference