Memoirs for the natural history of humane blood, especially the spirit of that liquor by Robert Boyle.

The V. (Secondary) Title. Of the Quantity of Spirit contain'd in Humane Blood whether accompany'd with its Serum or dry'd.

'TIs not easy to determine the exact proportion of that Li∣quor, which, when by Distillation obtain'd from Humane Blood, the Chymists call its Spirit, in reference to the other Principles or Ingredi∣ents whereof the Blood consists. For some Mens Blood may be much more Phlegmatick or serous than that of others, which it self may be more or less Spirituous according to the Complexion, Age, Sex, &c. of the person that bleeds. But, to make some Estimate, that will not probably much recede from what may be ordinarily found, I shall in∣form you, that Twelve Ounces of

healthy Humane Blood afforded us seven Ounces and a half of Phlegm, and consequently about Four Ounces and a half of dry stuff. And then I shall add, that having committed to Distillation in a Retort in a Sand Fur∣nace seven Ounces of well dry'd (but not scorch'd) Blood, we ob∣tain'd about seven Drams, that is, about an Eighth part of Spirit, to which thô it were not rectified, that Name may well enough be given, because it was so very rich in Spiri∣tuous and Saline parts, that it left in the Receiver, and in the Vial I kept it in, a good deal of Volatile Salt undissolv'd, which a Phlegma∣tick Liquor would not have done. And if that be admitted for a truth, that was above propos'd as a very like∣ly Conjecture; namely, that Spirit of Blood is but Salt and Phlegm united, we may well suppose that Humane Blood yields a far greater proporti∣on of Spirit than this; since from the seven Ounces of dry'd Blood last

mentioned, we obtain'd about Five Drams of Volatile Salt, which if we had by Distillations united with a fit quantity of Phlegm, would pro∣bably have afforded us near Two Ounces more of a Liquor deserving the name of Spirit.