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'Tis known that most Chymists, and many Physicians, have a Su∣perlative Esteem for the Medici∣nal Vertues of Gold, and the Pre∣parations of it. And upon this ground, divers of them have long been, and still are Solicitous to make Calces of Gold by differing
ways; most of them laborious, and some of them scarce to be safely wrought and us'd in Phy∣sick: Wherefore I shall, I presume, be easily Pardon'd, if I here set down a way that came into my mind, and that I have sometimes us'd to make a preparation where∣in Gold is reduc'd to very mi∣nute Parts, without the help of Mercury, or of any Precipitation made by sharp Salts, whether Acid or Lixivial.
We took then refin'd Gold, and dissolv'd it in clean and Spirituous Aqua Regia, and instead of Preci∣pitating the clear Solution with Oyl of Tartar per deliquium, as is usually done, or with Spirit of Sal Armoniac, or other Volatile Urinous Spirits, we first with a very modest Heat drew off the Superfluous Liquor; whereby the Gold with the remaining part of the Menstruum, was left in the ap∣pearance of a thick and Oleous Liquor. This done, we pour'd
upon it a treble weight of Vinous Spirit totally inflammable and in a short time, we had, as we expect∣ed, a very subtil Powder, or high colour'd Calx of Gold, that sub∣sided at the bottom; the Men∣struum being strangely dulcifi'd as to Tast, and become fragrant in point of Smell When a very few days were past, we decanted the Liquor, and put on it fresh ardent Spirit, and leaving them a while together, there subsided the like well colour'd Calx more plentiful∣ly than the first time.
I know not, to add that upon the by, whether it may, or may not be worth while to try to Disco∣ver whether this Dulcifi'd A. R. Spirituosa being drawn off from the subsiding Gold, may have acquir'd any Virtue from the open'd Metal. Some Tryals seeming to argue that the openness of this Calx made it fit to be easily wrought upon by a Menstruum that would not touch Water-Gold, as they
call the common Calx made by quartation, nor yet Leaf-Gold, such as the Apothecaries Imploy; but however the Menstruum has ac∣quir'd such qualities as make it seem likely to prove an useful Me∣dicine, which yet I refer to Tryal.
By the way we pitch'd upon to make this Powder of Gold, it seem'd probable, that it would not (at least) be less subtil, and yet would be more mild, than com∣mon Preparations; and neverthe∣less we thought it might, perhaps, make it yet more secure, if we should, as we did, put upon it a totally Ardent Vinous Spirit, and burn it off once, twice, or thrice, to carry off with it any little Co∣rosive or Saline Particles▪ that may have still adher'd to the Metalline ones.
N. B. The Spirituous Aqua Re∣gia, mention'd in the Process, is so call'd by me, partly to distinguish it from the common Aqua Regia, and partly because 'tis indeed of a
more Spirituous Nature than the common, being compos'd without any gross Salt; Such as * but only of Spirits. This Menstruum I made for some particular uses: And tho it works more slowly than the common Chrysulca, yet I often prefer it to this, as that which I can imploy to some un∣common purposes, and as it may probably be a more innocent Men∣struum in making Preparations of Sol, design'd for Medicinal uses. I make it very easily, by mixing one part of good Spirit of Salt, with two parts of strong Spirit of Niter, or (when 'tis not to be us'd for Medicines) of common, but clean Aqua Fortis.
The above recited Tryal was made as 'tis deliver'd; but some Circumstances that I took notice of, and particularly some Grains of Powder that, tho mingl'd with
the rest, were shining, as if they had been extreamly Minute, and bright Filings of Gold. These Circumstances, I say, made me Suspect that the Success might much depend upon particular and nice Circumstances that may need more exact Tryal, than I had then occasion to make; and there∣fore it may be fit that the Expe∣riment be heedfully repeated. It may also be try'd whether the im∣ploying common A. R. instead of the Spirituous, will much vary the Experiment.
To try how much Volatile Salt an assign'd quantity of Water would Dissolve, we took ℥III of Distill'd Water, and put into it by degrees, some dry Salt of Salt Ar∣moniac (that was very White, and compact enough) keeping the Li∣quor in digestion for a pretty while, that it might have time to
Dissolve as much as it could. When we found it would Dissolve no more in a moderate Heat, we took it off, and found that after standing some Hours in the Cold there fell to the lower part of the Glass, and setled there, a pretty quantity of Salt, which we guess'd to be about ʒII, which being de∣ducted from ℥II, that had been in all put in, there remained ℥I and ʒVI in the Liquor, which by this account had Dissolv'd at least half its weight of Salt.
I desire it may not be thought strange, if among our Chymical Experiments, some few shall be here and there met with, that are much less Elaborate or Promising than others that I could easily have inserted in their Rooms; for I did it on set purpose, partly be∣cause oftentimes (as was intimated at the beginning of the Chapter)
some more simple or seemingly less valuable Experiments may be fitter materials, than more curi∣ous ones, for the Natural History we would promote; and partly to give an Example, if mine can sig∣nifie any thing, of not disdaining to Register some things that seem mean; if by the light they afford, or the uses they may be apply'd to, they compensate the want of Lustre, and of immediate Utility. And the substance of this Scholi∣um I desire may be mentally trans∣ferr'd, as occasion shall require, to those following Chapters that Treat of Chymical Experiments.
Perhaps some Chymists will think that the following Memoir may give hints that may be of use on several occasions, both for other purposes, and for theirs, that would draw Tinctures from seve∣ral Bodies, that will not afford
them in simple Spirit of Wine, tho well rectifi'd.
The simple Spirit of good French Verdigreas, being once or twice abstracted from as much Salt of Tartar as it would dissolve in the Cold; left the Salt easily susible, and dissoluble in highly rectifi'd Spirit of Wine.
I have not been unacquainted with some Curious and Elabo∣rate Preparations of that noble Flower the Rose; and experience hath convinc'd me that tis pos∣sible, whatever most Chymists think of it, to obtain from Roses a true essential Oyl, that mixes not with Water, and is exceeding fra∣grant: But there are several that are so far from believing that an Essential Oyl may be obtain'd from Roses, without being in the form of a Butter, but in a liquid one like Oyl of Cloves, or Wormwood,
that they doubt whether a true Spiritus Ardens can be obtain'd from them, without addition of Wine, or some such inflamable Li∣quor. I shall here transcribe the following Note, as containing a more simple and easie Preparation (than any of those before menti∣on'd) of the Ardent Spirit of those Flowers, and therefore more suit∣able to the design of the whole Chapter.
Two Bushels of Damask Roses (together with a good number of red Rose-buds) being beaten, and put into a Vessel with Water a∣mounting to about 4 Gallons, were mingled with about a quart of Ale-Yest, and kept in Fermentati∣on for about 5 or 6 days (the weather being cold for the Season) and then being Distill'd per vesicam,
afforded us a Spiritus Ardens.
We took ℥II of Seed Pearl, that were carefully bought for Orien∣tal, and without breaking them, put them into a Retort, and Di∣stil'd them in a Sand-Furnace by degrees of Fire, giving a strong one at the last. By this means we had a little Black Oyl Swimming up∣on the Spirit, which was also dark and muddy, as if incorporated with some more Oyl. The weight of both these Liquors was 23 Grains, besides which there stuck to almost all the upper part of the Retort, a thin film of Oyl, which together with a streak of the like reaching to the bottom of the Re∣ceiver, we estimated at 3 Grains more, and so reckon'd 26 Grains for the weight of the whole as∣cended
matter. The Caput Mor∣tuum amounted to full the remain∣ng weight of two Ounces. The Empyreumatical Liquors that came over, smell'd much like those of Harts-horn, and the Spi∣rit was found to belong, as we ex∣pected, to the Tribe of Urinous ones, or, as many now call them Volatile Alcaly's For it readily hiss'd and produc'd Bubbles, with good Spirit of Salt turn'd Syrup of Violets Green, and being drop'd into Solution of Sublimate, turn'd that White; to omit another way or two, by which I examin'd it. The Oyl that stuck to the Retort, and which was faetid, like that of Harts-horn, did easily dissolve in dephlegm'd Spirit of Wine, and afforded a reddish Brown Solution. The Caput Mortuum was very black, and some Grains of it were found readily enough dissoluble in Spirit of Vinegar. Being calcin'd in a well cover'd Crucible, with a strong Fire (for a moderate one
will not do it, unless it be long) we reduc'd them to be purely White, and to a weight less by some Grains than an Ounce, and ʒIII and we found, as we expected, that being Pulveriz'd, this Calx tasted hot and bitterish upon the Tongue, like good Calx Vive, and was not only of an Alcalisate, but a Lixival Nature: For besides that it presently turn'd Syrup of Vio∣lets Green, it quickly afforded an Orange Colour'd Precipitate, with Solution of Sublimate.