Experiments, notes, &c. about the mechanical origine or production of divers particular qualities among which is inferred a discourse of the imperfection of the chymist's doctrine of qualities : together with some reflections upon the hypothesis of alcali and acidum / by the Honourable Robert Boyle ...

EXPER. VIII.

By the bare addition of a Body almost inodorous, and not well sented, to give a pleasant and Aromatick smell to Spirit of Wine.

THis we have several times done, by the ways elsewhere related for another scope, the summ of which, as far as it needs be mentioned in this place, is this.

We took good Oil of blew Vitriol (that was brought from Dantzick,) though the very common will serve well, and having put to it, by de∣grees, an equal weight of Spirit of Wine totally inflammable, we dige∣sted them together, for two, three, or four weeks, (sometimes much longer, and then with better success;) from which, when we came to distill the mixture, we had a very fragrant Spirit, which was sometimes so sub∣tile, that, though distilled in a tall Glass with a gentle Heat, it would

(in spite of our care to secure the closeness of the Vessels at the jun∣ctures) pierce through, and fill the Laboratory with a perfume, which, though men could not guess what bo∣dy afforded it, yet they could not but wonder at it. Whence we may learn, both how much those spirituous and inflammable particles, the Chy∣mists call the vegetable Sulphur of Wine, may work on and ennoble a mineral Sulphur; (for, that such an one there is in Oil of Vitriol, I have elsewhere proved by experience;) and how much the new Commistions and Contextures made by digestion may alter the odours of Bodies, whe∣ther Vegetable or Mineral. That also another Constitution of the same matter, without any manifest addition or recess of particles, may proceed to exhibit a very differing smell, will appear by the following Triall.