William Gilbert of Colchester, physician of London, On the magnet : magnetick bodies also, and on the great magnet the earth ; a new physiology, demonstrated by many arguments & experiments / William Gilbert.

William Gilbert

Date:: 1901

Credit: William Gilbert of Colchester, physician of London, On the magnet : magnetick bodies also, and on the great magnet the earth ; a new physiology, demonstrated by many arguments & experiments / William Gilbert. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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$witnefs. In like manner in other countries in our time it is brought to light; for as the hone remarkable for its virtues is now famous throughout the whole world, fo alfo everywhere every land produces it, and it is, fo to fpeak, indigenous in all lands. In Eaft India, in China, in Bengal near the river Indus it is common, and in certain maritime rocks: in Perfia, Arabia, and the iilands of the Red Sea; in many places in ./Ethiopia, as was formerly Zimiri, of which Pliny makes mention. In Alia Minor around Alexandria and the Troad ; in Macedonia, Bceotia, in Italy, the illand of Elba, Barbary; in Spain Hill in many mines as aforetime. In England quite lately a huge power of it was difcovered in a mine belonging to Adrian Gilbert, gentleman ; alfo in Devonlhire and the Foreft of Dean ; in Ireland, too, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Lapland, Livonia, Pruflia, Poland, Hungary. For although the terreftrial globe, owing to the varied humours and natures of the foil ariling from the continual fucceflion of growth and decay, is in the lapfe of time efflorefcing through all its ambit deeper into its furface, and is girt about with a varied and perilhable covering, as it were with a veil; yet out of her womb arifeth in many places an offspring nigher to the more perfect body and makes its way to the light of day. But the weak and lefs vigorous loadftones, enfeebled by the flow of humours, are vilible in every region, in every ftrath. It is eafy to difcover a vaft quantity of them everywhere without penetrating mountains or great depths, or encountering the difficulties and hardlhips of miners; as we fhall prove in the fequel. And thefe we fhall take pains fo to prepare by an eafy operation that their languid and dormant virtue fhall be made manifeft. It is called by the Greeks vj^diycXiog, as by Theophraltus, and poiyvriTig; and fjcuyvng, as by Euripides, as quoted by Plato in the Io: by Orpheus too puyvyoa-a,, and o-i^iTvjg as though of iron: by the Latins magnes, Herculeus ; by the French aimant, corruptly from adamant; by the Spaniards piedramant: by the Italians calamita; by the Englifh lOfltlftQn0 and anamant Clone, by the Germans magnefs and JiegelJiein: Among Englifh, French, and Spaniards it has its common name from adamant ; perhaps becaufe they were at one time milled by the name Jideritis being common to both: the magnet is called tn&pmjs from its virtue of attracting iron: the adamant is called cnSepiTvig from the brilliancy of polilhed iron. Ariftotle delignates it merely by the name of the Jlone : VEonce de icou QotXrig 6% uv cc7ropivvipt,ovEVov(rii x.iv7]tik6v ti Ty\v ipuxvv vnoXoifteiv, zIttep) rov XlQov e(pr] £%£*!', otl tov <n'$v}f)ov xivei: De Anima, Lib. I. The name of magnet is alfo applied to another Hone differing from liderite, having the appearance of lilver; it is like Amianth in its nature; and lince it conlifts of laminae (like fpecular Hone), it differs in form: in German Katzenjilber and Talke. 4$