The anatomy of plants with an idea of a philosophical history of plants, and several other lectures, read before the royal society / by Nehemjah Grew ...

CHAP. II. Wherein is shewed, That the said ESSENTIAL and MARINE Salts of Plants are both of different Sorts.

HAVING made the Experiment, that both an Essential and Marine Salt may be produced out of the Lixival Salt of a Plant. I thought it probable, that neither the one nor the other, was always the same, but that as they had their general properties which made them to be of two general kinds; so they might have some special property, for the distinguishing of each kind into several Sorts. And withall, that in a warmer season, than before taken, the Tryal hereof might be finished in a shorter time.

2. §. For the making of which, I conceived it requisite to remove an Opinion which seemed to lye in my way; sc. That there is little or no difference between the several Lixivial Salts of Plants, as some Learned men have thought. But either there is a difference, or not: if not, it should be proved: and if there be, it should then be justly stated, what that difference is. For the doing of which, I chose this Method. I took an equal quantity of the whitest and purest Salts of divers Plants, all made by an equal degree of Calcination; and dissolved them all se∣verally in an equal quantity of water. And pouring likewise an equal quantity, as about 10 or 12 drops of each into a spoon, I tasted them severally. Whereby it was very evident, that they were not all of one Tast, but of very different ones, both as to strength and kind: and therefore different in Nature also. The Salts I made tryal of were those of Sorrel, Anise, Wormwood, Mallow, Ash, Tartar and others: and upon half a Drachm of each I poured ℥ijss of water. The Solu∣tions are here present to be tasted. By which the differences will ea∣sily be observed, and particularly that the Salt of Wormwood or Scur∣vygrass, is almost as strong again as the Salt of Anise, or Sorrel: and that the Salt of Ash is above twice as strong, and that of Tartar above thrice as strong, as that of Sorrel, and almost thrice as strong as that of Wormwood or Scurvygrass. So that he who shall give half a Scruple, suppose of Salt of Tartar; instead of half a Scruple of Salt of Worm∣wood, or other like Salt; he may as well give a Scruple of Rosin of Jalap, for a Scruple of the powder, or almost three•• Drachms of Rhu∣••arb, or other like Purge, instead of one. And the like is to be said of other Lixivial Salts in their degrees.

3. §. Having observed thus much, I proceeded to repeat the for∣mer Experiment, with some of the aforesaid, and some other Vegetable Salts, the best calcin'd, and the purest, that could be made for this purpose, being these Six Salts, sc. of Rosemary, Garden Scurvygrass,

Black Thorn, Common Wormwood, Ash, and Tartar. All which dissol∣ved severally in fair water, I exposed in a Chamber window, and not in Winter, as before, but in the heat of Summer, sc. on the 19 of July, to evaporate of themselves.

4. §. The Effect was, That the third day after their being ex∣posed, the Essential Crystals began to shoot in three of the Solutions, sc. in that of Rosemary, of Garden Scurvygrass, and of Black Thorn. On the fouth day, in that of Wormwood. On the fifth day, in that of Ash. In that of Tartar, not at all.

5. §. These Essential Crystals began, in all, to shoot at the top, and then to fall to the bottome; as in the Experiment before. But as there was very little of the white Sedement before mentioned, that preceded; So no Scum or Cremor at all. Which although a more perfect Calcina∣tion, it seems, did here almost prevent; yet did not in the least destroy the aforesaid Essential Salt, but rather make way for its more speedy and copious Production: exhibiting likewise a distinct Species in several of the Solutions.

6. §. For first, the Crystals of Rosemary (the largest of them) were about the bigness of a Rice-Corn. In Figure almost like a Tip-Cat, which Boys play with,* 1.1 split down the midle. Each Tip being cut into 5 sides all ending in a poynt: the middle part divided into 7, all drawn by parallel Lines; the topmost with the lowermost but one, on each side, beeing three exact Squares.

7. §. The Crystals of Black Thorn are most of them poynted with just six sides of Equal Measure: very like to the shooting of true Crystal it self.* 1.2 From the topmost of which six Sides, a Line being drawn out, runs parallel to a broad Base, whereon each Crystal stands. So that they are in some sort of a Rhomboid Figure.

8. §. The Crystals of Scurvygrass have also a very elegant and regu∣lar Figure, which is in a manner compounded of the two former now described. But they are nothing near so bigg, the largest of them, being no biger than a Grain of that which we call Pearl Barley.

9. §. The Crystals of Wormwood have also very many of them a regular Figure; but quite different from that of the Crystals before mentioned; each Crystal being a little Cylinder, saving that it is con∣stantly somewhat smaller at one end,* 1.3 than the other: as it were one half of a Rowling-pin. And not evenly Circular, but cut out by Six Sides of equal Measure: almost as in the Crystal of Nitre. So that contrary to what is seen in the forementioned Crystals, the ends of these of Wormwood are not poynted, but flat; and cut at Right Angles with the Sides.

10. §. The Crystals of Ash, though by their properties they appear likewise to be Essential; yet are nothing near so regularly figur'd, as all the forementioned.

11. §. The Colour also of the said Crystals is somewhat different: Those of Ash being of a brown transparency, almost like those of Firne. Those of Wormwood being also brownish, but paler. Those of Rose∣mary and Scurvygrass having some little Tincture, yet very clear. But those of Black Thorn without the least Tincture, and as clear as Crystal it self.

12. §. None of these Essential Crystals have any hot siery Taste, but are very mild, and sensibly Bitter; especially, about the Root of the Tongue: as is also observable of some Plants hereafter mentioned, in speaking of the different Tastes of Plants.

13. §. Oyl of Vitriol droped upon these Crystals doth not affect them in the least: yet droped into the several Solutions out of which the Crystals are produced, immediately causeth a great Effervescence.

14. §. Of the Solutions above named, that, of Salt of Tartar was the 6^th. Whereof it is remarquable, That having waited several Months together, I could not observe the least Essential Salt to be therein produced in all that time. Whether there be any other Vege∣table Salts, besides this of Tartar, which will not yield the Essential above described, I have not yet experimented.

15. §. In the mean time, from the Premises it is very probable, that most of them afford more or fewer of the said Crystals. In regard they are Plants of a very different kind, which I made tryal upon: as Garden Scurvygrass, very Hot; Rosemary, very Aromatick. Worm∣wood very Bitter; Black Thorne, Astringent and Sower. And it is also plain, That the said Essential Salts contained in the Lixivial, are not altogether one and the same, but of divers Sorts.

16. §. ABOUT 7 or 8 days after the Essential Crystals were produ∣ced; the Marine Salt did also begin to shoot; first in Rosemary; quickly after, in Scurvygrass; Next, in Black Thorn and Wormwood, sc. after the space of a week or 10 days more. And in all of them with some difference of Size and Figure.

17. §. The plainest of all, was that produced out of the Salt of Black Thorn, consisting for the most part of very small Crystals, not above the 15^th of an Inch square, as also thin, shaped like a Duch Tile used for Chimnies. Many others were very thick, and near to a Cube.* 1.4 Most of which were a little hollowed in the midle, like a grind∣ing Marble or Salt-Celler; and the hollow bounded by 4 plain and equal Sides, all descending a little towards the Centre; and measured by two cross Lines, which staid upon the four Angles of the Square, and so cut one the other at Right Angles. Both which Properties are likewise usually seen in the Crystals of Common Salt.

18. §. In Wormwood, many of these Crystals, besides the plain ones, were figur'd crossways like a Dagger-Hilt. Which was some∣times naked,* 1.5 and sometimes inclosed in a square and almost Cubical Box. Many others were figur'd into Sprigs made up of four chief Branches standing crosswise, and those subbranched; and all the Branches made up of little square Crystals, clustered together in that Figure. The Sprigy Figure of these Crystals is not accidental, but hath constantly come after they had been three times dissolved, and the Solution expo∣sed to evaporate.

19. §. The Marine Salt of Rosemary hath also some variety. For besides the plain ones above described, there are some thick Squares, which have also a square hollow descending by five,* 1.6 six, or seven nar∣row steps, towards the Centre; being in Figure, saving these Steps, somewhat like the Hoper in a Mill.

20. §. Upon a second Solution of the same Salt, there shoots an∣other sort of square; which is not plain on the edges, as the above∣named,* 1.7 but scalloped or florid all round about, not unlike the Leaves of some Plants.

21. §. The Crystals of Marine Salt of Scruvygrass are somewhat like to those of Rosemary now described.

22. §. As for the Lixivial Salts of Ash and Tartar, though in a Month or Five Weeks Space, they yield some Crystals of very clear Salt: yet of Marine Salt neither of them yieldeth the least particle. So that of these Six Lixivial Salts, sc. of Rosemary, Scurvygrass, Black Thorn, Wormwood, Ash and Tartar, all, but that of Tartar, yielded an Essential Salt. And all, but those of Ash and Tartar, yielded a Ma∣rine, such as is above described. All which Salts both Essential and Marine, together with their Models, made of white Alabastre, I have here ready to be seen.

23. §. Of those that yield these Salts, or either of them, it is further to be noted, That there is a considerable difference in the Proportion or Quantities which they yield. The Rosemary yields store both of Essential and Marine, but more Essential. Wormwood and Scur∣vygrass more Marine. Black Thorn less of Either. The Ash no Marine, and the Tartar neither the Essential nor Marine, as hath been said.

24. §. From what hath been said, I deduce only at present these Three Corallaie. First, That a Lixivial Salt, is not only a compoun∣ded Body sc. of Salt, Sulphur, Aer and Earth; but even a Compounded Salt, containing both a Vegetable Nitre, and a true Sea Salt.

25. §. Secondly, That the Exposing of Bodies, in the manner above shewed, may justly be accounted one Part of Chymistry hitherto Deficient, and much farther to be improved for the Discovery of the Na∣ture of Bodies. For as Nature chiefly compoundeth Bodies by Digesting them, and so either shutting out or keeping in the Aer: So she Dis∣solveth them by Exposing, and so neither shutting in the Aer, nor keep∣ing it out, but leaving it free to come and go; and thereby to bring, and carry off whatsoever is necessary for the Separation or Solution of Bodies. For the Sea it self (to confine the similitude to our present case) is but as a Great Pan, wherein all kinds of bodies being long exposed, are throughly resolved, ultimately yielding from the rest of their vi∣sible Principles, that which we call Sea Salt.

26. §. Lastly, if by Exposing and Dissolving we can make one Satl; then by Compounding and Digesting we may make another, yea any other Salt; either a Fixed of a Volatile, or a Volatile of a Fixed. That is to say, a Volatile Salt may be so separated from other Bodies, as to be∣come Fixed; or a Fixed Salt may be so mixed with other Bodies as to become Volatile. For that any Salt should of it self become Fixed or Volatile, is a Fixion not grounded upon Experiment.

27. §. As for the Virtue of the Essential Salts above described, I believe they will be found upon tryal, not contemptible in some Cases. For which amongst other reasons, I have been the more punctual

in relating the manner of their Generation; that others also may have the opportunity of making proof hereof.

28. §. When I made the Experiments for this and the foregoing Discourse, not having so good conveniency at home for making the Salts I used: I procured them all (except that of Firne, which I made my self) to be purposely prepared by Mr. John Blackstone a London Apothecary, who assured me of his great care herein; and particularly, that he added no Nitre to whiten any of the Salts with, as is common∣ly done for that of Tartar.

I do declare, That all the Lixivial Salts mentioned in this and the foregoing Discourse except that of Firne, were faithfully prepa∣red by me

John Blackstone.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Tab. 83.
• * 1.2

  Tab. 83.
• * 1.3

  Tab. 83.
• * 1.4

  Tab. 83.
• * 1.5

  Tab. 83.
• * 1.6

  Tab. 83.
• * 1.7

  Tab. 83.