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The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Paper, 'Two rainbows counterchanged; the lowermost doubly whyed [wide] downwards, and colored in the same order as the second' by Henry Oldenburg

Reference number: CLP/7i/30

Date: 1651

Description

Oldenburg describes two rainbows witnessed in London on 18 August 1651. Also attached are some eclectic notes by Henry Oldenburg about winds, lead and black lead, Roman vitriol, garden and flowers, springs, medical remedies, madness, music, salmon, pearls, agriculture, spontaneous plants, cutting of coppices, hedges, broom, teazels, dairy, yeast, malting, bees, sheep, wool, freezing, glue, staunching of blood, emmets, unusual births, small pox, plague, mortar.

Includes a drawing of a plaque mentioning the horticulturist Ralph Austen (c. 1612-1676) and the art of cultivating apple trees. Oldenburg's notes include information on apples, cider and the preparation and recovering of beer. There is a list of trees, but this does not seem to be related to Austen.

Subject: Natural Philosophy

Reference number
CLP/7i/30
Earliest possible date
1651
Physical description
Ink on paper
Page extent
15 pages
Format
Manuscript

Creator name

Henry Oldenburg

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Citation

Henry Oldenburg, Paper, 'Two rainbows counterchanged; the lowermost doubly whyed [wide] downwards, and colored in the same order as the second' by Henry Oldenburg, 1651, CLP/7i/30, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/clp_7i_30/paper-two-rainbows-counterchanged-the-lowermost-doubly-whyed-wide-downwards-and-colored-in-the-same-order-as-the-second-by-henry-oldenburg, accessed on 09 December 2024

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https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/clp_7i_30/paper-two-rainbows-counterchanged-the-lowermost-doubly-whyed-wide-downwards-and-colored-in-the-same-order-as-the-second-by-henry-oldenburg

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  • Classified Papers

    Dates: 1592-1741

    The 'Classified Papers' of the Royal Society are papers from British and international natural philosophers and scholars categorised according to subject areas.

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