d diurnal
motions of the earth and sun, so as to answer and coincide with all
accidental turnings of the wind.

I was complaining of a small fit of the colic, upon which my conductor
led me into a room where a great physician resided, who was famous for
curing that disease, by contrary operations from the same instrument. He
had a large pair of bellows, with a long slender muzzle of ivory: this he
conveyed eight inches up the anus, and drawing in the wind, he affirmed
he could make the guts as lank as a dried bladder. But when the disease
was more stubborn and violent, he let in the muzzle while the bellows
were full of wind, which he discharged into the body of the patient; then
withdrew the instrument to replenish it, clapping his thumb strongly
against the orifice of then fundament; and this being repeated three or
four times, the adventitious wind would rush out, bringing the noxious
along with it, (like water put into a pump), and the patient recovered.
I saw him try both experiments upon a dog, but could not discern any
effect from the former. After the latter the animal was ready to burst,
and made so violent a discharge as was very offensive to me and my
companion. The dog died on the spot, and we left the doctor endeavouring
to recover him, by the same operation.

I visited many other apartments, but shall not trouble my reader with all
the curiosities I observed, being studious of brevity.

I had hitherto seen only one side of the academy, the other being
appropriated to the advancers of speculative learning, of whom I shall
say something, when I have mentioned one illustrious person more, who is
called among them "the universal artist." He told us "he had been thirty
years employing his thoughts for the improvement of human life." He had
two large rooms full of wonderful curiosities, and fifty men at work.
Some were condensing air into a dry tangible substance, by extracting the
nitre, and letting the aqueous or fluid particles percolate; others
softening marble, for pillows and pin-cushions; others petrifying the
hoofs of a living horse, to preserve them from foundering. The artist
himself was at that time busy upon two great designs; the first, to sow
land with chaff, wherein he affirmed the true seminal virtue to be
contained, as he demonstrated by several experiments, which I was not
skilful enough to comprehend. The other was, by a certain composition of
gums, minerals, and vegetables, outwardl