Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
surfaces by the use of cooking oils. The practice was used by ancient seafarers and was
described in the first century A.D. by the naturalist Pliny the Elder (
Figure 2.1
) in his 37 volume
encyclopedic series Naturalis Historia. In Book 2, Chapter 106, Pliny describes the ancient
common knowledge about the effect of oils on rough seas, stating 'all sea water is made smooth
by oil and so divers sprinkle oil on their face because it calms the rough element and carries
light down with them'. Pliny died in the Mount Vesuvius eruption of 79 A.D. when he decided
to sail his boat into Pompeii to get a better look. Later it was reported that oyster fishermen
poured oil onto the surface of rough seas to calm them so they could better see shell fish sitting
on the bottom. In a similar fashion, ancient fishermen applied oil to better see schools of
herring at long distances. When whaling ships returned to port with their catch, the entire
harbor was found to be covered with oil, and the water was no longer choppy. Although
the calming effect of oil on the sea was common knowledge in ancient times, it remained
little more than an observation until the pioneering experiments of Benjamin Franklin.
Pliny the Elder, actual name Gaius Plinius Secundus, was a prolific writer. His 37 volume
encyclopedia Naturalis Historia is a collection of just about everything he found interesting in
his surroundings including important descriptions of manufacturing processes for papyrus,
purple dyes, and for gold mining. Because Pliny was probably the most famous person ever
to die in a volcanic eruption, current volcanologists use the term 'Plinian' when referring to
a sudden volcanic eruption and 'ultra-Plinian' for describing an exceptionally large and
violent eruption. The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa was ultra-Plinian. Although no real image
FIGURE 2.1
Pliny the Elder, 23
e
79 A.D. Courtesy Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-
66932
