Robert Boyle wish-list from 360 years ago
Boyle’s wishlist contains many items relating to human performance, health and longevity. These are reproduced to the right (with original spelling).
- The Prolongation of Life.
- The Recovery of Youth, or at least some of the Marks of it, as new Teeth, new Hair colour’d as in youth.
- The Art of Continuing long under water, and exercising functions freely there.
- The Cure of Diseases at a distance or at least by Transplantation.
- The Attaining Gigantick Dimensions.
- The Emulating of Fish without Engines by Custome and Education only.
- The making Armor light and extremely hard.
- Potent Druggs to alter or Exalt Imagination, Waking, Memory, and other functions, and appease pain, procure innocent sleep, harmless dreams, etc.
- Freedom from Necessity of much Sleeping exemplify’d by the Operations of Tea and what happens in Mad-Men.
- Pleasing Dreams and physicall Exercises exemplify’d by the Egyptian Electuary and by the Fungus mentioned by the French Author.
- Great Strength and Agility of Body exemplify’d by that of Frantick Epileptick and Hystericall persons.