The works of the Honourable Robert Boyle, Esq., epitomiz'd by Richard Boulton ... ; illustrated with copper plates.

EXPERIMENT I.

MIX a convenient Quantity of Camphire, grosly beaten, with Oyl of Vitriol, and when it begins to dissolve, and, by shaking the Glass, to mix with the Oyl, it will first tinge it with a Yellow, and afterwards a Colour not much different from Red; which Tincture will be so deep, as to render the Clear Oyl Opacous. And from the Ingredients perfectly mix'd, if in just Proportion, may be obtain'd a Liquor void of a Camphire Smell; yet by the sole Addition of Fair Water, the Mixture will become Pale, and the Camphire will again associate, and form a floating Combustible Body as before dissolv'd, and renew its Odour.

* 1.1From the Phaenomena of this Experiment, may be drawn several Instances to our Purpose.

I. That a Light Body reduc'd into Parts, con∣veniently Figur'd, may be mix'd with a Body heavier than it self; so that Gold, the heaviest of Bodies, may float in a Liquor, if its Parts be dissolv'd, and render'd minute enough by Aqua Regis. From which two Observations we may Learn; That the Textures of Bodies, as well as the Rules of Hydrostaticks, are concern'd in determining, whether Bodies will sink or swim.

II. That several Colours may be produc'd, by a Mixture of a Colourless Liquor, and a White Concrete.

III. That those Colours may again be de∣stroy'd, and the former renew'd by Water, which can neither afford the Colour it reduces Camphire to, nor destroy that of the Liquor.

IV. That a Light Body emerges out of one much lighter, which did not in a heavier Li∣quor, which the Mixture was before the Addi∣tion of Water; which may be an Argument a∣gainst the Schools concerning Mistion; since some of them assert, That, in Mistion, the Ele∣ments depose their own Forms, and put on new; whereas the Camphire had not its Form destroy'd throughout the Process; but still retain'd its own Qualities in a Disposition to be again united.

V. It is to be admir'd, That Odours should depend on so slight a Texture, that Camphire, by a bare Separation of its Parts, should lose its Scent, and upon the Mixture of a Body void of Odour, should again recover its Smell; and that so slight a Texture, as that of the Oyl and Cam∣phire, should, as to Sense, wholly for a time alter the Qualities of the Latter: And that several of the preceding Phaenomena, are caus'd by the Par∣ticular Texture of the Liquors, made use of to exhibit them, is manifest, because if Camphire be cast into Spirit of Nitre, well dephlegm'd, it will not afford those Phaenomena, which it does with Oyl of Vitriol. And when to the Red Mixture, above-mention'd, two or three parts of Spirit of Wine, were added instead of Water, no such Changes succeeded; but the whole Mixture, with its Accidental Colour, was dissolv'd by it, being

in Colour much like Red Turbid Wine: So that the Colour of the Mixture was wholly owing to the Mixture of the Oyl and Camphire, and de∣pended on their Union; which is further con∣firm'd, because when we added a sufficient quan∣tity of Water to that Turbid Liquor, it presently depos'd its Colour; and the Particles of Cam∣phire immediately emerged in the Form of a white Powder.

But there are other Phaenomena, which by a pro∣secution of this Experiment, the Mixture afforded us: For,

VI. Having kept the Mixture moderately warm in a Glass Retort, and distill'd it; the Li∣quor drawn off had a Smell, unlike both that of the Camphire, and also that of the Mixture: And the Ingredients united in this Mixture, were both. Transparent, in the Sense that Fluid and Solid Bodies contus'd are said to be so; yet the Re∣maining Mass, not only became Opacous, but of a very Black Colour: some Parts of it, being not unlike polish'd Jets; which is the more Re∣markable, because Camphire Chimically handled, usually ascends in White Flowers, leaving behind them a Caput Mortuum of an Agreeable Colour.

VII. The last Phaenomenon this Mixture afforded us was, That tho' Camphire be a Body very much dispos'd to dissipate, and fly away; yet by the Association of the Oyl, it might be kept together, so that the Caput Mortuum above-nam'd, was able to endure a pretty hot Fire in the Retort, before it was reduc'd to that Pitchy Substance, lately taken Notice of: And further it was Remark∣able, That Part of the Substance being taken out of the Retort, and kept in a Red-hot Crucible

for half an Hour, it afforded a considerable quan∣tity of Black Brittle Matter, without the least Smell of Camphire: Fixedness and Volatility are so much vary'd by Texture.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Several Phaenome∣na the Re∣sult of a Change in Texture.