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THE Experiments, we have made and recited of the premeating of Flame (as to some of its parts) through Glass-vessels, and of its work∣ing on included Metals, may much confirm the Paradox I have elsewhere propos'd, That Flame may be a Menstruum, and work on some Bodies at the rate of being so; I mean not only by making a notable Commi∣nution and Dissipation of the parts,
but by a Coalition of its own parti∣cles with those of the fretted Body, and thereby permanently adding Sub∣stance and Weight to them. Nor is it repugnant to Flames, being a Men∣struum, that in our experiment the Lead and Tin, expos'd to it, were but reduc'd to powder, and not dis∣solv'd in the form of a Liquor, and kept in that state. For, besides that the interpos'd Glass hinder'd the Ig∣neous particles from getting through in plenty enough; I consider, that 'tis not necessary, that all Menstruums should be such Solvents, as the obje∣ction supposes. For whether it be (as I have sometimes suspected,) that Menstruums, that we think simple, may be compounded of very differing parts, whereof one may precipitate what is dissolved by the other; or for some other Cause, I have not now time to discuss. Certain it is, that some Menstruums corrode Metals and other Bodies without keeping dis∣solved all, or perhaps any considerable part; as may be seen, if you put Tin
in a certain quantity of Aqua fortis, which will in a very short time re∣duce it almost totally to a very white substance, which, when dry, is a kind of Calx. And so by a due pro∣portion of Oyl of Vitriol, abstracted from Quicksilver by a strong fire, we have divers times reduc'd the main body of the Mercury into a white powder, whereof but an inconsidera∣ble part would be dissoluble in water. And such a white Calx I have had by the action of another fretting Li∣quor on a Body not Metalline.
And having thus clear'd our Para∣dox of the oppos'd Difficulty, my haste would immediately carry me on to the next Corollary, were it not, that there is one Phaenomenon belong∣ing to this place that deserves to be taken notice of. For, whether it be, as seems probable, from the vehement agitation of the permeating particles of Flame, that violently tear asunder the Metalline Corpuscles, or from the nature of the Igneous Menstruum, (which being as 'twere percolated
through Glass it self, must be strangely minute,) 'tis worth observing, how small a proportion, in point of weight, of the additional adhering Body may serve to corrode a Metal, in compa∣rison of the Quantity of vulgar Men∣struums that is requisite for that pur∣pose. For, whereas we are oblig'd to imploy, to the making the solution of crude Lead, several times its weight of Spirit of Vinegar, and (though not so many times) even of Aqua fortis, 'twas observ'd in our Experiment, that, though the Lead was increas'd but six grains in weight, yet above six score of it were fretted into pow∣der, so that the Corrosive Body ap∣pear'd to be but about the twentieth part of the corroded.