On Subtlety.
Signature: C iij

Book on Subtlety.

A playful instrument likely a toy or a mechanical curiosity. 294
Why reflected light is seen and increases heat. 92
Why the Moon alone changes its shape. 90
The size of the Moon. See: Size of the Sun.
Rainbows of the Moon. See: Solar Rainbows.
Observations of the Moon for the preservation of Zethian flour original: "farinæ Zethię"; likely referring to a specific grain or a regional variety of flour. 116
Wolves into dogs. See: Dogs into wolves.
Wolf drums and strings, and sheepskin drums and strings, hinder each other when they are struck together This refers to a common Renaissance belief in "natural antipathy," where objects made from natural enemies—like a wolf and a sheep—could not function harmoniously together. 345
Why a man [loses his voice] when a wolf is seen. See: Man, why.
How you may kill wolves. See: Mice.
Mud. See: Earth.
What brilliance and light are. 93
Lycisca a classical term for a hybrid animal, usually thought to be the offspring of a dog and a wolf. 228

M

Macer an aromatic bark from India, often used in Renaissance medicine for dysentery. 200
The machine of Ctesibius for drawing water Ctesibius was an ancient Greek inventor in Alexandria known for pneumatic and hydraulic machines. 7
The Brambilic machine for drawing water likely a reference to a contemporary 16th-century inventor known to Cardano. 8
The machine of Hero Hero of Alexandria, an ancient mathematician and engineer. 13
A machine which strikes without fire. 60
A machine for sifting flour. See: Instrument for sifting.
War machines drive by universal order. 7
From what material war machines are made. 35
Why fire machines artillery or cannons discharge with such great force. 35
Why fire machines discharge with such great noise. See: Noise.
The power of fire machines. 33
The method of making fire machines. 33
Signs of machines liable to fracture. 34
Help for machines so they do not break. 34
Two new kinds of war machines. 35
How stains may be removed. 330
A dispute against magic. 350
Kinds of magnets. 186
The powers of the ferruginous iron-like magnet. 186
Nine experiments with the ferruginous magnet, and the reasoning behind them. 186
A wonderful experiment with the fleshy magnet original: "Magnetis carnei"; Cardano discusses different "species" of magnets, some of which were mythically thought to attract flesh rather than iron. 188
The powers of another fleshy magnet. 189

Apples. See: Fruit.
Median apples. See: Citrons.
In how many ways apples excel in good qualities. 370
Perennial maltha Maltha: a type of mineral pitch or thick bitumen used since antiquity as a waterproof cement or mortar. 181
Maltha used in place of marble. 181
The thorny apple likely the Datura stramonium or "Jimsonweed," known for its medicinal and toxic properties. 198
The Mamey fruit a tropical fruit from the Americas, showing Cardano's interest in New World botany. 270
The Manatee fish original: "Manatus piscis"; though a mammal, it was categorized with aquatic creatures. 237
Crippled in the hands. See: Man, with hands.
Metal gauntlets [or sleeves]. 50
How the hand may burn and not be harmed. See: Burning water usually a reference to high-proof alcohol or "aqua vitae" which can be ignited on the skin.
Manucodiata the Bird of Paradise; Renaissance Europeans believed these birds had no feet and lived forever in the air, fed by heavenly dew. 239
Tablecloths which do not burn. See: Licinia referring to asbestos linens.
Marcasite a common iron sulfide mineral. 135
Marcasite often contains copper. See: Pyrites.
The case of Marcantonio Maioragio an Italian humanist and contemporary of Cardano. 263
The composition of marciacocta a specific hard-setting plaster or medicinal paste discussed by Cardano. 180
Why the sea is salty. 78
Why the sea is sterile in certain places. 239
Pearls. 182
The adulteration counterfeiting of pearls. 194
Seas are dried up by rivers. 77
Why the tide of the sea occurs. 79
Why the tide of the sea does not move ships very quickly. 80
How the depth of the sea can be determined by the sight of a stone. 275
Seaweed floating in the sea. See: Seaweed.
How marble is repaired. See: Maltha.
Sawn marble. 185
Marbles containing natural images referring to "picture stones" or marbles whose veins resemble landscapes or faces. 184
Kinds of marbles. 183
The signs of marbles. 184
That prime matter exists. 3
The advantage and utility of prime matter. 4
That prime matter exists in actuality. 4
That prime matter retains a certain quantity. 4
The womb [or matrix]. 138
The saints of the Mohammedans Muslims. 253
How the Moors keep cool. See: Method of cooling.
The greatest things consist of the smallest beginnings. 334
Very narrow passages or pores. 265
Median apples. See: Citrons.