1673-01-01 10.2307/j100693 1 6019 10.2307/j100835 6016 1673 10.2307/101344 philtran1665167 6016-6019 An Observation, made by the same Mr. Templer upon the Motion of the Hearts of two Urchins, after their being cut out. - WHen I had written thus far, I was diverted by a couple of living Urchins, which were presented me by a Shepherd. I shall now mention no more than my cut- ting out their Hearts; whereupon I found the Systole and Di- Diastole to continue full two hours, while the hearts lay upon a glased earthen white plate in a cold window. The distance of xml-55 p-55 6016 (6017) of their Diastoles was unequal in time, but very large for half an hour,and then sensibly diminishing until they ceased at the two hours distance; and would not then be re-inforced by a needles point, which for the half hour preceeding they would answer at any time. But here I must ask, shall we call these Hearts dead after the first hour? If so, than that Paralytical arm is much more dead, which is deprived of Sense but not of Motion; a famous instance whereof the Immortal Harvey gives us somewhere, (I cannot quote the place, not having seen the book since the flames consum'd my Library,) in his Exercitat. de Gener. Animalium; since this Heart had not only Motion, but Sense too, upon the pricking with the point of a needle. If you object, That the pricking of a needle made a com- pression of the fibres, and, by consequence, of the included Spirits, and they by vertue of their own Spring rebounding imitated a Diastole of the heart: I answer,that after the Hearts had ceased above 1/4 of an hour, so as a needle pricking them caused no Motion; yet upon setting the plate upon the hearth in the Chimney, in about two minutes of time they began to beat,though but weakly; and upon eight minutes continuance they beat freely; and when removed into the window again, continued their pulsation, without pricking, above an hour, and might have done longer, could I have spared my servant to attend them longer. Peradventure we may hence con- jecture at the cause of Life and Death. And when shall we say then,any Animal or Insect is dead, if it hath Motion? Some Communications out of Turky, by persons residing there. THere is a Disease, which reigns in the Country about A- leppo,and as far as Bagdat, invading both sexes, all sorts of ages, and strangers as well as natives. 'Tis commonly cal- l'd Il mal d' Aleppo, and appears to be in the skin a small pustula or wheal hard and red, the head whereof is scarce bigger at the beginning than the point of a pin; afterwards growing big- ger, and being nourish't by five or six little roots or fibres, it goes on to its height for the space of about 6, months; and in as many more coms to its declination: So that the whole pe- D d d d d d 2 riod xml-56 p-56 6017 (6018) riod of this disease is generally comprised within the space of one year. But this Pustula hath hitherto yielded to no remedies, neither in the beginning, midle, or declinaion, but hath ra- ther been exasperated by them, though they were anodyna. It is wholly to be left to Nature, and,if you do so,there is no pain or trouble in it. It takes people not once, but often, and it seizeth on several parts of the body; and if it do so on the face (as often it doth) it causes a remarquable scar, which yet by little and little vanisheth. As to Feavers at and about Aleppo,though they have the same Type there as in England; yet there are two things peculiar in them. One is, that in Acute feavers, Cold sweat commonly signifies recovery, but Hot sweat portends death. The other is, that in such acute feavers even an intermitting pulse de- nounces no danger. Touching the Leprosy, which anciently was so frequent a malady in these Countreys, 'tis now scarce to be found there, though at Damascus there is still an Hospital standing,former- ly built for the relief of persons thus diseased. As for the reason, why the City of Constantinople is so much subject to the Plague; some are of opinion, that the multitude of Slaves, yearly brought by the Black-Sea, and their hard diet and usage,begets this corruption: Others judg, that the commonalty there, feeding for the greatest part of Summer on Cucumbers and Melons, and drinking water upon them, with- out the Use of helps to correct the crudities, fall into malig- nant and pestilential feavers. But the Physitians generally conclude, That the Air of Conctantinople is infected by the North-East-winds, which blow commonly for 3 months,begin- ning about the Summer-solstice arising from unwholesome Marshes in Tartary and Muscovy, and passing over the Black- Sea, (a place known to abound with Fogs,) bring with them certain dispositions tending to corruption; which working upon bodies already prepared by bad diet, may well be iudged, they say, to be the cause of this distem- per. Besides the other uses of Opium in Turky, 'tis common in Arabia, to cure Horses with it of the Gripping of the Cuts. As xml-57 p-57 6018 (6019) As to the Tarky way of dressing Leather,it is to be observ'd, that their Leather is nothing so strong and serviceable as that in England; an assured proof whereof is the Wearing. And though it be commonly reported, that the Leather in these parts,though thin and supple, will hold out water; yet this is to be understood, that the Turks in their winter-boots, be- tween the lining and the leather, put a Sear-cloth, which being curiously fow'd in the seams, will keep out water, though you put them in it for divers hours together. In cleaning of their leather, they use Lime and Album Gracum; and instead of Barks of trees, they employ Valonia, a sort of acorn growing on the Oakes. I am persuaded, that our Acorns in England, if they could be spar'd for it,would perform the like effect,and perhaps better; seeing that many times the Valonia burns the Leather so much as to make it little Serviceable; whereas out acorns are probably more temperate and so might better serve the turn. xml-58 p-58 6019 eng research-article 1673 Philosophical Transactions (1665-1678) 8 Templer John 1 10.2307/i206873 03702316