The Object Of Chemistry Under The Notion Of Destruction Or Resolution.

The Object of Chemistry was Destruction or Refolution, and Generation or Combination.

By Destruction or Resolution, Mixeds and Compounds are refolved into their constituent parts, and Aggregates into their integrant parts. The firft Operation, for diftinction fake, may be called Refolution, and the other Dissolution.

2. The Productions of Diffolution have their distinct and proper appellations, according to the various forms it induces.

Thus when Bodies, especially thofe of the metalline kind, are grofly diffolved, we have them in the form of little Grains; when finer, and not round, in that of Filings; and when ftill finer, in the form of Pow- ders to which Metals are reduced by the means of Fire.

If a volatile Powder be thus obtain’d by Sublimation, ’tis called Flowers; but if it be fixed and and obtain’d by Calcination, ’tis term’d a Calx: tho’ dry Powders, made by Corrofion in the cold, and precipitated out of the Menftruum, are alfo called Calces; as that prepared by fufion, with corrofives, or by cementation, is called a Cro- cus. The metallic Sediment, obtained by the ftamping and wafhing of Ores, is called in the 1 language of Metallurgifts, Slud. And thus much for bodies of a folid form.

3. In a fluid one comes

(1.) The liquifaction of Salts in common Water; but if the liquifaction proceed gradually, by the affiftance of the moist Air, it makes Oils per deliquium, as they are cal- led; in all which fome certain portion of the Salt is diffolved into its fmalleft and almost in- divifible parts, by the means of Water.

2.) The fame thing happens in the Sot. tions made by A- qua fortis, or corrofive, faline Spirits; whence Metals are diffolved into fuch fmill particles, as to become entirely pellucid with Water.

And,(3.) The fufion of metals may be reckon’d of this clafs; as diffolving them into their fmalleft parts; fo that as long as they remain in this ftate, the minutest portion one pleafes, or even the least particle of their Aggregate, may be feparated from them; efpecially by Granulation. ds 4.

As Aggregates are reduced to their smallest parts, without regard to their quality; fo are Compounds into their conftituent parts, which, as fuch, are neceffarily heterogeneous t.

Compounds, with refpect to their general Qualities are either, (1.) Fluid, (2.) Solid, (3.) Participating of both, (4.) Made up of fix’d Matter alone, or (5.) of fix’d and volatile Matter together.

5. The fluid Compounds have at moft but three parts; viz. Water, Oil, and Spirit, which Spirit is made by a conjunction of the other two. Of thefe, Water is the moft fix, Qil the moft volatile, and Spirit betwixt both.

The Parts of fix’d Solids are various Earths, mix’d and compound, as alfo Metals.

Of the Solids compofed of fix’d and volatile matters there are two Claffes; for they either confift of folid and fluid, or of folid and fix’d Parts

Of the firft Clafs are recent and dry’d Ve- getables; as alfo Animals and Salts.

The more folid and fix’d Parts are Calces, vi trefcible Earths, and fix’d Salts.

In another refpect, fome Compounds are made up of a corrofible and incorrofible part:. whence arife cold, bumid, and dry Solutions; or Amalgams, Extracts, Crocus’s, and Vitriols. The lefs corrofible part, in the cold, turns to Ocbre, Powder, or Calx;

but with heat, into Regu- lus, the Grain of the Cupel, or Glass.

There are alfo Compounds confifting of an inflammable and uninflammable part.

But thefe; are referable to the volatile and fix’d.

Bodies uncapable of mixing are rather con- founded or jumbled together, than compound- ed; as Oil and Water, Water and dry Pow- ders, &c.

6. The second general Part of the Object of c Chemistry, or Combination, is alfo concerned a- bout Continuums in Quantity, or Aggregates, and Continuums in Quality, which are fpecific Continuums, or a new kind of Compounds. In the firft, feveral fmall bodies are joined into one larger;

larger; and in the fecond the like is done, with the addition of a new fpecific quality.

7. Thus, for example, Bodies dispersed and inherent in a Fluid, if they are volatile, as ani- mal and all urinous Salts, may be collected by Sublimation; but if they are fix’d, by Coagula- tion; which if it be violent gives Coagulums, and if gentle, Crystals of Salt.

Bodies divided into Atoms, or very small parts at least, are reduced by Fufion, if they be fufibles from whence the Reduction of Me- tals: but if fui generis, they are join’d toge- ther by the addition, or new foftening, of their Cement.

Particles confufedly difperfed between any Ag- gregate are collected alfo by Extraction; thus Sulphur is obtained from the Pyrites, Rofins from Vegetables, Mercury from Metals and Mi- nerals, and Salts from Earths and hetero- geneous maffes. And all this is done by the method of Collection.

8. The Method of Union combines together parts that differ froin each other in number, figure or even in mixture; and thus produces fome new Concrete, differing fpecifically from the parts that make it; and this, by the known chemi- cal operations, proves commonly a Compound, and but feldom a Mixt.

9. But whether they be Mixts or Compounds that are produced by this. operation, they are either natural, perfectly like natural, or merely artificial Bodies. Vitriols prepared by Art refemble the natu- ral, and anfwer in all respects to the mineral Vitriols; fo the Mercuries prepared by Addi

tiar

2. Defrullion or Refolution tion, differ from the common only as t are gained from a more noble, or a more ign Metal whence they coagulate with m or lefs expedition, and return to a metall fixednefs.

So the artificial Cinnabar is in things like the natural, and perfectly undift guishable from it. Thus we procure Arfe from Luna cornua, as alfo from Lead: A thus Regulus of Antimony treated with Cinnab drinks in the Sulphur it contains, and is then regenerated into true Antimony again.

Inflammable Spirits, dulcified faline miner ones, all Salts proceeding from the combin tion of Acid and Alkali, all fix’d and all vol tile Salts, all Wines, Vinegars, empyreumat Oils, the volatile Salts of Plants, and all Soap are artificial Compounds and thefe are th more compounded Productions.

10. The more fimple Productions are the na ural ones exbibited by Art in a fhorter times a Gold from the Mercuries of Bodies, fix’d either by Digestion or metallic Fufion +. The operation is more artificial when the more fimple Subjects are alter’d in their Form, without any obfervable addition or diminution which is the cafe in the vitrification of the infipid Earths of Vegetables, common and metalline Clays, &c. whence Glafs of different kinds is produced. And the like may be faid of Fixation.

11. We have already obferved, I that De- truction or Refolution refolves Mixts and Compounds nto their constituent, but Aggregates into their in-

Deftruction or Refolution. Part I integrant parts. The latter depends upon and refts in a bare diffolution of Continuity; without any regard to the homogeneiety or beterogeneiety of the feparated parts: but the former is effected by a neceffary feparation of the beterogeneous parts diffolved by the other. e-12.

The Destruction of an Aggregate happens fo-either in a folid or a fluid form; the first being a refolution into fmall parts, and commonly called Comminution; the other a Refolution into almost the fmalleft integrant parts, and called Solution."

13. Comminution:

• differs according to its various degrees of fineness
• may be effected in Metals several ways

But principally by Granulation.

• This is the dissolution of any metallic Body into many little round parts or grains.

This is effected varioufly in the more fluxile Metals, Tin and Lead, (1.) by firft melting them, then (as these run without ignition) pouring them into a wooden dish, that has been rubbed on the infide with Wax, Chalk, Lime, or Brick-duft; and obferving the moment they begin to fet, then toffing them a little into the Air, after the manner that Corn is winnow’d.

(2.) By shaking the melted Metal in a wooden Box, that is firft well rubbed on the infide with fome dry Powder.

(3.) By running it thro’ a fine Iron Colander, or Ladle punched full of fmall holes ; fire being laid upon the metal to make it run, and fo fall into water fet underneath to receive it.

(4.) by a particular little Engine, com- monly called the Shot-mill. But the barder Metals, because they foon fet or grow cold after melting, are granulated at one effufion. For this purpose melted Copper

5.2. Deftruction or Refolution.

23. Hitherto we have treated of Diffolution in integrant Parts; we next proceed to the Refe tion or Separation of Compounds into their constituent parts; and propofe to confider them wi regard to their generical Qualities; or as the confift, (1.) entirely of Fluids, (2.) entirely of Solic (3.) of Fluids and Solids; whether both be vol tile, volatile and fix’d, or both fix’d: but mo particularly as they confift of corrofible or incor rofible parts; and this abfolutely or refpectively of fufible or not fufible parts of two or more pan that refufe to mix and laftly, of parts that co bere loosely or clofely t.

24. All Fluids that retain their fluid form in the cold, or in a small degree of warmth, are vola tile; but in different degrees.

The most volatile are inflammable Spirits; an artificial Compound arifing from a combination of Phlegm, and a moft fubtile Oil*.

The next in degree of volatility are the diftilla Oils of Vegetables. In the third place come pure Waters or Pblegins.

After thefe, come faline, mineral Spirits. And lastly, faline mineral Oils, or concen- trated Spirits.

25. For the Separation of thefe, there is required a particular kind of Distillation, with a’ check’d degree of heat, and called Rectification.

Here, spirits rise with a tepid heat, or one a little greater than the hand can well endure; that Ŏils rife with the fame, or rather along with Waters; which require a heat next to that of boiling water.

Saline mineral Spirits, as Vinegar, require the beat of Ashes or Sand.

Jaline Oils, the Capella vacua, or heat with out any grofs medium.

26. This Rectification is promoted by the bright of the vessels employed.

Thus, perfectly to Separate the phlegm from inflammable Spirits, the tallest veffels are required; thofe of a middle bright for Oils and Waters; low ones for faline Spirits; and fuch as are borizontal for faline Oils.

27. The whole Design of Rectification is to separate the more volatile from the more fix’d Fluids.

28. Bodies compounded of a Fluid and a Solid, are feparated with 2 different Views; or in order to obtain their fluid or pure folid parts.

29. Distillation

This is where a fluid is, with a proportionable heat, rarified into vapour, that again condenfes into a fluid.

Fluids therefore are the Subject of this Operation; as Water, Oil, Mercury and bodies compounded of thefe. Hence all recent and even dry Vegetables and Ani- mals, for their Oil; as likewife all faline Minerals that actually contain Quick-filver, may be committed to Distillation: the degrees of Fire, &c. being regulated according to the Rules above laid down.

Destruction or Refolution. Part I.

(1) Gold, Copper, and Iron alfo in part, are diffolved by Aqua regia.

But all the Metals, except Gold, by Aqua fortis and Spirit of Nitre; tho’ one more readily than another. (2) Sup- pofe Silver therefore diffolved in good Aqua- fortis or Spirit of Nitre, and the clear Solution Sondecanted.

(3.) If Plates of Copper be put into this Solution, the Menftruum will diffolve them; and let fall the Silver, it had before diffolved, in the form of a white powder.

(4.) When the Menftruum will diffolve no more Copper, let the clear Solution be decanted from the Silver-powder at the bottom, and poured up- on Iron-filings; and it will attack thefe with a confiderable noife, diffolve them, and let fall the Copper it before contain’d.

(5.) This Solution of Iron being filtred, and poured upon 15 Zink; the Menftruum will diffolve that, and let fall the Iron.

(6.) Let this clear Solution of Zink be feparated from the Iron, and pour- bered upon Crabs-eyes or Oifter-fhells, and the Menftruum will now diffolve thefe and let go the Zink,

(7.) If this Solution be filtred, and Spirit of Urine, or Spirit of Sal-ammoniac be poured thereto; the Menftruum will imbibe this, and let go the teftaceous Body.

(8.) Laft- Jy, to this clear Liquor add the Liquors of fix’d Alkali, and the urinous Salt will be fepa- Piorated; though it does not fall to the bottom, Lay but, according to its own nature, rifes to the topaba coinulo voye ol : 10W m. babb banner2 foini e dots And by way 52. The refpectively incorrofible Parts are fe- of Regulus parated by beat, either in the way of Regulus or pel with the Cupel and the Cu- beat. apply asvi w][1] darder sind

Regulation is a kind of Precipitation whence the Fusion of Antimony, and fuch like Minerals, is by the Metallics are called the Precipitation, or throwing down of the more fix’d metalline part out of the fubject, or crude Ore, that confifts of fulphurous, arfenical and t metallic parts.

This is effected by adding such materials to the mass as are more readily corroded and detain’d by its fulphureous and arfenical parts, than the metalline body which el before poffefs’d them.

Such materials are Al- kalies, Iron, Copper, Tin and Lead,

Antimony and all metallic Ores are the subject of Regulation.

The latter confifting of a certain sandy, vitrifiable and fufible Earth, along with a metallic part; which being ponoderous, and the Earth but light, the metallic part, when they come into liquid fusion, must of neceffity fall through the other, and be collected into one mass at the bottom.

which mafs, when both are cold, may be separated from the other by the bare ftroke of a ham- mer on the fide.

The glassy matter a-top is called the Scoria.

The metallic part the Regulus Scoria;

The metallic part is called Regulus.

Cupellation is the separating and And perfectly purifying the nobler Metals from every thing that is not Gold or Silver.

This is also applicable to the Ores of thefe Metals, in order, by the way of assay, to difcover and af- certain their yield or richnefs in pure metal.

The Operation is perform’d in a veffel made of fine Athes, which drinks in many of the heterogeneous impurities along with part of the Lead, employ’d in the work; the Lead ferving to diffolve and carry off with it, either in fume, dross, or Litharge, all but a little perfect metalline Grain, over which it has no power.

53. The Separating-Glass and the Filtre have likewife fome fhare in the feparation of Com pounds; fo far as to keep afunder fuch confufed bodies as are fometimes more, and fometimes lefs difpofed to unite,

But when thefe are more intimately com- bined together, they require fome particular Operations to fet them afunder: Thus the Oil and Water that compofe inflammable Spirits, are fuperficially feparated by Tartarifation, but more accurately by Digeftion, either per fe, or with Oil of Vitriol, So likewife Oils, express’d from mucilaginous Bodies, are dephlegm’d by Tartarifation; or by Coction, which evaporates their aqueous humidity