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Book IV.

0/BITUMENS.

?8?

will have it that this Sort of Coal is the Re-fult of Petroleum made in the Bowels of theEarth, which is probable enough, fince outof it may be drawn an Oil altogether likethe Oil of Petre.

It is call'd in Greel^, Litban-Lemery. thrax ; in Latin, Carlo Petra, orCarlo FoJJliis ; and in Englifh,Coal j and isdiftinguifli'd inro5e<* Coal and PitCoal, only upon the Account of that which isgenerally carried by Sea ; all Coal beingproperly fpeaking Pit Coal, which is chieflyiound in England, Scotland, Ireland, Germa-ny, &c. and is an impure Sulphur, mix'dwith many grols and earthy Parts, and a vo-latile Salr, being ftrong, friable, and black :In Diftillation it yields an acid Spirit, red-difh Oil, black Balfam, and volatile Salt,like Amber; which is but too well knownto the Chymifts of this Age, who adulteratemolt of the Preparations of their Shops, thatare either chargeable or troublefome, andtedious in the Operation : The Virtues ofthis are in a lower Degree fubfervient tothofe of Amber, as well internally as exter-nally apply'd.

5". Of Terra AmpeliteSj or CannalCoal.

Pomet. 'T'Erra Amf elites, or Cannal Coal, is a■*■ dry Bitumen impregnated withSulphur, that eaiily i'plits into Scales, and isre-duc'd to Powder, found in the Entrails of theEarth in many Places of France : We havetwo Sorts of it, the one foft, the other hard,which comes from near Alenfon, in the Pro-vence of Maine; the Propriety of the Quar-ry whence 'tis taken, belongs to a Curateof a Parifti, who makes feven or eight hun-dred Livers per Annum of it; the Quarryis a Matter of forty or fifty Foot deep ; andthough this is a Merchandife of low Price,yet they make a good Trade of it ; therehardly being any Artificers in Stone or Wood,but what make ufe of it more or lefs. Thatwhich is good muft be lately taken from theMine, for when "tis ftale and old it refolvesinto a Powder and becomes a Saltpetre j itought to be light, neither too foft nor toohard j fome have given it the Name ofVine Earth, becaufe it kills or drives a-

way the Worms from the Leaves of Vines ;alfo it is call'd Pharmaoitis, becaufe 'tis us'din Medicine.

Ampelitis, five Pbarmacitis, theBlack Stone, or Medicinal Earth, Lemeiy,is a very bituminous Stone, blackas Jet, Splitting into Scales, and is eafily re-due'd to Powder ; they get it from a Quar-ry near Alenfon in France : There are twoSorts of it, one foft and the other hard ; itaffords Abundance of Sulphur and Salt : Itis proper to kill Worms apply'd to the Belly,and to dye the Hair Black : Some ufe it as anAntidote to deftroy all Vermine, apply'd tothe Vine Roots.

6. Of Sulphur Vivum, or NativeSulphur.

QVlfhur Vive is an Earth or Clay

eafily inflammable, that in burning omet 'emits a bituminous Smell, brought us fromCicily and other Places. As to the Choice ofLive Sulphur, fo call'd, becaufe it is foldand made ufe of juft as it comes out of theEarth ; let it be tender or foft, friable oreafy to be broken, fmooth, fliining withoutas well as within, and of a Sort of MoufcDun, or Grey, as free from Gravel andDuft as poffible.

This Sort of Sulphur is very little in Ufe,nnlefs it be for fome particular Operations,and certain galenical Compofitions, but pret~ty much us'd by Vintners, who mix it withSugar, Anis, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves,&c. to fweeten and prefetve their Veffels.

Some Apothecaries pound it with Scam-mony, which they call Prepaid Scammony,or Diagrydium, and fo make a better Mar-ket of it than their Neighbours, whoiakePains to prepare it as it ought to be,

7. Of Mineral Sulphur.

tVlphur Mineral is a hard earthy Bitumen,J of a yellow Colour, and bright enough,of a fetid fulphureous Smell, eafie to bemelted or burnt, and is more or lefs beautiful,as 'tis more or lefs mixt with Impurities iimeets with in the Mine,

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