Readnara
Micrographia / Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies Made by Magnifying Glasses with Observations and Inquiries Thereupon — Robert Hooke

Micrographia / Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies Made by Magnifying Glasses with Observations and Inquiries Thereupon

Robert Hooke

  • Essays
  • Book language: English
  • 394 pages

Micrographia is a 1665 collection of scientific essays by Robert Hooke, based on observations made with magnifying glasses and microscopes. It surveys minute bodies and natural phenomena, from insects and plants to minerals, and helped shape early modern science. It is worth listening to for its curious, methodical voice and its glimpses into how the invisible world was first examined.

Listen to the opening

Listen to the first 5 pages without signing up Listen to the whole book free

Already have an account? Sign in and listen

Free with a free account. The book is read by an AI-generated voice; the text follows along.

Embed on your site

For teachers and schools: paste the code into your site or blog.

Cover of the original edition (Project Gutenberg, public domain).

Text source: gutenberg.org · The work is in the public domain.

Opening of the book

Decorative rule

By the Council of the ROYAL SOCIETY of

London

for Improving of Natural Knowledge.

Ordered, That the Book written by Robert Hooke, M.A. Fellow of this

Society, Entituled, Micrographia, or some Physiological Descriptions of

Minute Bodies, made by Magnifying Glasses, with Observations and

Inquiries thereupon, Be printed by John Martyn, and James Allestry,

Printers to the said Society.

Novem. 23. 1664.

BROUNCKER. P.R.S.

Decorative rule

MICROGRAPHIA:

OR SOME

Physiological Descriptions

OF

MINUTE BODIES

MADE BY

MAGNIFYING GLASSES

WITH

OBSERVATIONS and

INQUIRIES thereupon.

By R. HOOKE, Fellow of the ROYAL SOCIETY.

Non possis oculo quantum contendere

Linceus,

Non tamen idcirco contemnas Lippus inungi.

Horat. Ep. lib. 1.

Arms of the Royal Society

LONDON, Printed by Jo. Martyn, and Ja. Allestry, Printers to the

ROYAL SOCIETY, and are to be sold at their Shop at the Bell in S.

Paul’s Church-yard. M DC LX V.

Decorative rule

TO THE

KING.

SIR,

I Do here most humbly lay this small Present at Your Majesties Royal feet. And though it comes accompany’d with two disadvantages, the meanness of the Author, and of the Subject; yet in both I am incouraged by the greatness of your Mercy and your Knowledge. By the one I am taught, that you can forgive the most presumptuous Offendors: And by the other, that you will not esteem the least work of Nature, or Art, unworthy your Observation. Amidst the many felicities that have accompani’d your Majesties happy Restauration and Government, it is none of the least considerable that Philosophy and Experimental

Keep listening free

Contents

  1. MICROGRAPHIA: OR SOME Physiological Descriptions OF MINUTE BODIES MADE BY MAGNIFYING GLASSES WITH OBSERVATIONS and INQUI
  2. THE PREFACE.
  3. Observ. I. Of the Point of a sharp small Needle.
  4. Observ. II. Of the Edge of a Razor.
  5. Observ. III. Of fine Lawn, or Linnen Cloth.
  6. Observ. IV. Of fine waled Silk, or Taffety.
  7. Observ. V. Of watered Silks, or Stuffs.
  8. Observ. VI. Of Small Glass Canes.
  9. Observ. VII. Of some Phænomena of Glass drops.
  10. Observ. VIII. Of the fiery Sparks struck from a Flint or Steel.
  11. Observ. IX. Of the Colours observable in Muscovy-Glass, and other thin Bodies.
  12. Observ. X. Of Metalline, and other real Colours.
  13. Observ. XI. Of Figures observ’d in small Sand.
  14. Observ. XII. Of Gravel in Urine.
  15. Observ. XIII. Of the small Diamants, or Sparks in Flints.
  16. Observ. XIV. Of several kindes of frozen Figures.
  17. Observ. XV. Of Kettering-stone, and of the pores of Inanimate bodies.
  18. Observ. XVI. Of Charcoal, or burnt Vegetables.
  19. Observ. XVII. Of Petrify’d wood, and other Petrify’d bodies.
  20. Observ. XVIII. Of the Schematisme or Texture of Cork, and of the Cells and Pores of some other such frothy Bodies.
  21. Observ. XIX. Of a Plant growing in the blighted or yellow specks of Damask-rose-leaves, Bramble-leaves, and some other k
  22. Observ. XX. Of blue Mould, and of the first Principles of Vegetation arising from Putrefaction.
  23. Observ. XXI. Of Moss, and several other small vegetative Substances.
  24. Observ. XXII. Of common Sponges, and several other Spongie fibrous bodies.
  25. Observ. XXIII. Of the curious texture of Sea-weeds.
  26. Observ. XXIV. Of the surfaces of Rosemary, and other leaves.
  27. Observ. XXV. Of the stinging points and juice of Nettles, and some other venomous Plants.
  28. Observ. XXVI. Of Cowage, and the itching operation of some bodies.
  29. Observ. XXVII. Of the Beard of a wilde Oat, and the use that may be made of it for exhibiting always to the Eye the temp
  30. Observ. XXVIII. Of the Seeds of Venus looking-glass, or Corn Violet.

and 36 more chapters

You may also like