Talk:Powder of sympathy

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I'd appreciate it if someone who has Dava Sobal's book on Longitude could add the sources for the story about "Curious Enquiries". Was that procedure ever tried or was the pamphlet satirical?Twospoonfuls 17:31, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

Hah, I just read that chapter. Unfortunately she doesn't, in my edition anyway, say who wrote it and left it unclear if the writer was joking or serious. Although the possibility it was meant as satire, targeting Kenelm Digby or people attempting to solve the longitude problem or both, is pretty strongly indicated. She mentions no attempt at trying it in reality and some things she says makes me think it was never tried.--T. Anthony 11:25, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

The "Curious Enquiries" were communicated to me by e-mail from Prof. Owen Gingerich of Harvard. --Siffler 19:38, 14 February 2007 (UTC)