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Book III.

0/MINERALS.

377

fortis inftead of h, whereby their Manufa- When this Water has no Phlegm in it to be

(ftures are neither fo good nor fo well fure it is good and genuine.

W S/Sf/M>f Mm, being a ftrong Corrofive, Of Cryftal Mineral.is very feldom us'd internally, wherefore 'tis

dulcified, or foftned," by adding as much Cryftal Mineral, which fome cril Sal Ano-

Spirit of Wine to it • and this is obfervable dwum or mmeralu Laps or Sal Prunella; is

in this Mixture, that it wants no Fire to a refin'd Saltpetre melted in a clean Iron Pot,

make it ; for as foon as thofe two Spirits throwing a (mall Matter of Flowers of Sul-

come together, there arifes as great an Ebul- phurinrou: When it is thus in Fufion, the

lition and Bubbling, as if they were upon a Saltpetre being throughly melted, and the

good Fire: In performing this Operation, Sulphur confum'd, let it Hand a While, then

Care muft be taken to avoid the Fumes and take off the Scum with an Iron Spoon, and

Vapours which are very hurtful and cffcnlive. pour cut the Saltpetre into an Iron Skil-

When this Mixture is become clear, it may lee , or Poringer, to make it thin , af-

be taken a few Drops of it in any proper Ve- ter the Manner as we fee it. We fend to

hide and is faid to be very good in flatulent Holland for our beft and whiteft Cryftal Mine-

and nephritick Colicks. Sal Armoniack dif- ral, but it being in little thick Cakes, we have

folv'd in this Spirit makes the Aqua t\eg>a,or fyyal Water, fo call'd from its Capacity ofdiflblving Gold, the King of Metals.

Of Aqua fortis.

Aqua fortis is a Spirit drawn from Salt-petre, and German or Englifb Vitriol cal-cin'd to Whitenefs, by Means of feme dry'dEarth or Clay, a Retort and Fire.

Aqua fortis, fo call'd from its Strength,

but fmall Sale or Demand for it, finceit's only fit to be fold by Weight, and tothofe that make ufeof it themfelves.

Cryftal Mineral ought to be chofen verywhite, new made, and thin ; and when itis to be retail'd, let it be as dry as you can.That which is made with the pureft Salt-petre is to be prefer'd to that which is madewith the common or ordinary Saltpetre,and this is eafily known by its Whitenefs,and keeping well. Tis a Miftake to believe,

though it be not fo violent as Spirit of Nitre, as an Author of late obferves, that thofe who

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is very much in Ufe with a great many Sortsof Workmen, fuch as Coyners, Mint-men,Goldfmiths, Engravers, Cutlers, and Abun-dance of others, as well as by thole that dyein Grain.

The beft Aquafortis we have comes fromHolland: Not bur that it can be made as goodin France ; but to fell it a little the cheaper,'tis not above half deflegmated with us, andcontequently not above half fo ftrong as itfhou'd be.

With Aqua fortis and Clippings or File-ings of Copper, is made a iecond Sort, asthey call it, of Water, of a blue Colour,which Farriers make ufe of, or otherwisethat which the Workers in Silver make withPhlegm of Vitriol, or Spirit of Vitriol, thatis made of Aqua fortis, and to which theName of the Aqua fecunda, or fecond Wa-ter is given.

There's no Fear of counterfeiting Aquafortis, or felling any other Spirit for it, ^there

hawk Cryftal Mineral about the Srreets makeit up with Alum ; for 'tis impoffible to makeAlum and Saltpetre unite, the Alum becom-ing immediately a Scum when 'tis throwninto the Saltpetre, as it does with Sugar, tho''tis pretended to be made ufe ot to whiten it;fo that thofe that make Cryftal Mineral forCheapnefs muft ufe the common Saltpetre ;for 'tis but melting it twice and it will be aswhite as the other, and the only Differencewiil be in keeping bur a fbort Time, whichthey to their Colt know that buy of thofeStrowlers. Care muft bw taken not to wrapit in Paper, which being porous, attrs&sHumidity, and moiftens the Cryftal Mineral,and renders it unfaleable j for this Commo-dity ought not to be mcift, or in Powder :Wherefore, by the Experience I'have had,the beft Affurance you can have that 'tisgood, will be to have it made by yourfelf.

Cryftal Mineral is very much in ufe in

being none can'be Worded a't a lower'Price. Phyfick; it has acquir'd" the Namei of Sal6 Vol. II. A prunella,

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