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IT will not only serve to mani∣fest the Subtilty and Penetran∣cy of the Spirit of Human Blood, but it may be also of some use to Physicians, if it be made appear by Experiments, that this Spirit is by itself not only a good Medicine for several diseases, (as will be hereafter shewn,) but may be also employ'd
as a Menstruum, to dissolve several Bo∣dies, and even some Metalline ones. And because these last mention'd are the most unlikely to be readily dis∣soluble, by a substance belonging to the Animal Kingdom, as Chymists speak; I shall subjoyn two Tryals, that I made to evince this Dissolu∣tive Power of the Spirit of Blood.
And first we took Crude Copper in Filings, (which if they be very small, are so much the fitter for our purpose) and having pour'd on them some highly rectify'd Spirit of Human Blood, we shook them to∣gether, and in about a quarter of an hour or less, perceiv'd the Menstru∣um to begin to look a little Blewish, which argu'd its operation to have already begun. And this colour grew higher and higher, till after some hours the Menstruum had dis∣solved Copper enough to make it deeply Ceruleous. Some other, and somewhat differing Tryals on the same Metal will be met with in their
proper place. In the mean time I shall here take notice, that in some Circumstances the Spirit of Blood has such an operation upon Copper, whose quickness is surprising. For having made a coin'd piece of that Metal clean and bright (that no grease or foulness might hinder the effect of the Liquor,) and put a drop or two of our Spirit upon it, with∣in about half a Minute of an Hour, (observ'd by a watch that shew'd Seconds) the verge of the moistned part of the Surface appear'd blewish, and almost presently after, the rest of the wetted part acquir'd a fine A∣zure Colour.
We also took filings of Zink, or (as in the shops they call it) Spelter, and having pour'd on them very well rectified Spirit of Blood, we ob∣serv'd, that even in the cold it quick∣ly began to work manifestly, thô not vigorously. But being assisted with a little heat, it dissolv'd the Zink briskly, and not without producing
store of bubbles, being also a little discolour'd by the operation of this Experiment, some use is made in a∣nother place, and therefore need not be deliver'd in this.
On this occasion I shall add, that for curiosities sake I took a piece of Coagulated Blood, but not dry'd, somewhat bigger than a large Pea, having a care to take it from the lower part of the lump of Blood, that it might be black, the superfi∣cial part of Fibrous Blood that lies next the Air, being usually Red. This clot of Blood we put into a slender Vial of clear Glass, that the colour might be the better discern'd, and then pour'd on it a little Recti∣fied Spirit of Humane Blood, and shook the Glass alittle; where∣upon in a trice the colour of (at least) the Superficial part of the Blood, was, as I had conjectur'd, manifestly chang'd, the blackness quite disap∣pearing, and being succeeded by a
very florid colour like that of fine Scarlet. The Liquor also was ting'd, but not with near so deep or so fair a Red, and by the little bubbles that from time to time past out of the Clod into it, it seem'd to work somewhat like a Menstruum. And yet soon after coming to look upon this lump of Blood again, I found it to have much degenerated from its former colour, to one less fair and more dark.
We took also another Clot of Blood like the former, save that one part of it which had lain next the Air, was not black; and having in a Vial like the former pour'd on it some Spirit of Blood, taken out of the same Vial whence I took the first parcel, the Reddish colour seem'd presently to be much improv'd, and made more fair, and like true Scar∣let. But the black was not so al∣ter'd, as to be depriv'd of its black∣ness, but retain'd a dark and dirty colour. So that this second Expe∣riment
requires a further Tryal, when there shall be conveniency to make it, and it will the rather de∣serve one, because what has been already recited of the Operation of the Spirit upon the two parcels of Blood, may suggest uncommon Re∣flections to Speculative Wits.
And here on this occasion it will be proper to relate to you, that having a confus'd remembrance, that I had a great while before put up some Humane Blood, with a certain quan∣tity of Volatile Spirit, to keep it fluid and preserve it, without distinctly remembring what Volatile Alca∣ly I had employ'd; I found among other Glasses that had been laid a∣side, one Bolt-head with a long Neck, to which was ty'd a Label, importing that at such a time twelve Drams of Humane Blood, were put up with two Drams of Spirit of Hu∣mane Blood. By the date of this Paper it appear'd, that this Blood had been preserv'd much above a
whole twelve Month; and yet it ap∣pear'd through the Glass of a fine Florid Colour, and seem'd to be little less than totally Fluid. And indeed when we came to open the Vessel, which was carefully stopt with a good Cork, and hard Seal∣ing Wax, we found no ill scent or other sign of Putrefaction in the Mixture, and but a very small Por∣tion of Blood lightly clotted at the bottom; the rest passing readily through a Rag. So that the Spirit of Humane Blood seems to have a great embalming Vertue; since 'twas able so long and well to preserve six times its weight, of a Body so apt to Concrete and Putrefie, as Humane Blood is known to be, and probably would have preserv'd it much longer, if we had thought fit to prosecute the Experiment. To this account of our Trial I know not whether it will be worth while to add, that having broken it off, that we might distill the above mentioned Mixture with a
very gentle heat, the first Liquor that ascended was not a Spirit, but a kind of Phlegm, thô afterwards there came up, besides a Spirituous Liquor, a Volatile Salt in a dry form.
On this occasion I shall subjoyn the following Tryal, long since made with a Spirit, that I supposed to have been weaker than that, with which the lately mentioned Experiments were made.
In order to a design that need not here be mentioned, I caus'd some Filings of Mars to be purposely made, that being presently employ'd they might not contract any Rust, where∣by the operation of our Liquor might be made doubtful. On these we poured some of our Spirit, and having kept them together a while in Digestion, we found as we ex∣pected, that the Liquor had wrought on the Metal, and produc'd a con∣siderable quantity of a light sub∣stance, in colour almost like Crocus,
but something paler. And we also found more than we expected; for there appeared in the Liquor good store of thin Plates, like a kind of Terra Foliata, (as the Chymists speak) which after a very slight agitation, being held against the Sunbeams, exhibited the Colours of the Rain-bow in so vivid a manner, as did not a little delight, as well as surprize the Spectators, but I did not perceive that the tast of the Liquor was considerably Mar∣tial.