Discoveries in science by the medical philosopher : An oration delivered on the ninety-sixth anniversary of the Medical society of London, Monday, March 8th, 1869 / by Sir G. Duncan Gibb, bart.

  • Gibb, G. Duncan (George Duncan), Sir, 1821-1876.
Date:
1869
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Discoveries in science by the medical philosopher : An oration delivered on the ninety-sixth anniversary of the Medical society of London, Monday, March 8th, 1869 / by Sir G. Duncan Gibb, bart. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    true nature of that substance, regarding which there had been all sorts of crude theories and odd speculations. He proved that Amber was in its origin a vegetable resin, the product of pine trees. An argument he brought forward against its being a marine production, and against its formation in the earth, was that the objects included within it were such bodies as insects that were often found aloft in trees, as ants, spiders, &c. He challenged all the cabinets of the curious to produce an instance of a marine body having been found naturally inclosed in Amber. That there were several fictitious ones he granted. He endea¬ voured to make it appear that this resin, with the trees which afforded it, were buried in the earth by the deluge, or by some such violent reverse- ment, and constituted the proper veins of Amber. That the substance of these veins still possessed the genuine character of wood, being fibrous, floating when dry, and burning like other wood. The Amber was not disposed in these veins in one continuous stratum, but lumps of it were irregularly disseminated throughout the woody mass. He attempted to remove a difficulty which he