'Pseudodoxia Epidemica' manuscript (17th century)

Full Title: Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica, manuscript on paper, 17th century

This page shows the beginning of ‘Concerning the Loadstone’, the longest section of Pseudodoxia Epidemica. Browne was captivated by the lodestone’s ‘secret and invisible’ forces. He experimented on the mineral in a variety of ways so that he could better understand the mysteries of magnetism. In one part, he describes combining a ground lodestone with vinegar to make a substance that is no longer magnetic.