Instrument for mercury experiment
Date
4 December 1666
Creator
Unknown, Artist
Object type
Archive reference number
Manuscript page number
p1
Material
Dimensions
height (page): 312mm
width (page): 194mm
width (page): 194mm
Subject
Content object
Description
A line drawing of a glass instrument used in Nicolaus Steno's mercury experiments. The letter, dated 4 December 1666, Florence, was sent to William Croone, who presented it at the meeting of the Royal Society on 16 January 1667. Croone and Steno also shared an interest in the structure and motions of muscles.
Object history
At the meeting of the Royal Society on 16 January 1667, ‘Dr. Croune produced two letters written to him by Mr. Steno from Florence, Dec. 4, 1666; one of which signified, that he had written elements of the structure and motion of the muscles, demonstrating, that the construction of the muscles is performed by thrusting; The other mentioned two experiments made with mercury, one to shew, that the cane containing the water and quicksilver being inverted, there issued something out of the mercury, that enters into the void space in the top of the cane; the other, to make appear the equilibrium of the air with the mercury, by a way different from that, which is ordinary. To which was added an account of an experiment of freezing with a mixture of ice and brandy. An extract was ordered to be made of these letters’ (Birch 2:140).
Associated place