The Common Instruments Of Chemical Operations

“FOR the performance of the foregoing in- ftrumental Operations, the material and mechanical concurrence of feveral Inftru- ments is required.

Some of thefe contribute more immediately to the Operation; which we therefore call In- ftruments of Operation; and others more remote- ly, whereto the Inftruments of Operation are applied; and thefe are term’d Inftruments of Adminiftration.

Both kinds are either common to feveral, or peculiar to certain Operations.

2. The common Inftruments of Operation are either most general, as Motion and Rest;

lefs gene- ral, as Fire or Heat, and Air, or a dry volatile fluctuating Fluid, Water or a moift Fluid, Earth or a fix’d Solid; or elfe particular as Menftruums.

3. Motion conftitutes the Genus of all Chemical Operations, and its refpect with regard to termina- tion, the Form. It is of two kinds; viz. vertical, or conftantly about an axis in a certain Space; or rectilinear, otherwife called progreffive.

4. There are 2 things to be confidered in Fire

(1) Its matter, and, what depends thereon, its immediate contact with the Subjects.

2. Its Form, and the mere formal Efficiency re- fulting from it,

According to the different heterogeneity of the body whereby ’tis fed, it agitates and throws out different Effluvia, of a fuliginous nature.

So that if any fubject be immediately expofed thereto, having a certain phyfical dispofition, part of thefe effluvia will be communicated to it, and adhere fometimes more, fometimes less tenacioufly, and fometimes prevent or at least modify the refolution or combination.

We have an Example of the former kind, in the Flame of Sulphur, which corrodes terrestrial and metalline bodies, and concentrates itfelf therein.

Examples of the latter are common. Thus in the melting of Sealing-Wax at the Flame of a Tallow-Candle, a footy matter very readily infinuates itself and difcolours the Wax.

But we are to obferve that fuch effects may not proceed from the effential and conftituent parts of the flame, but from fome extraneous and accidental particles catch’d up and thrown off along with it; which fuppofition is favour’d by this, that bigbly rectified Spirit of Wine, tho’ it gives a moft perfect and compleat Fire, affords no Soot at all.

5. The formal and more remote Influence of the Fire, called by the name of Heat, is requisite in the greater part of chemical Operations, and acts in the following manner.

Fire is an aggregate of many particles that are exceedingly moveable, and in actual motion.

• Its matter therefore are those very moveable particles which we call pure Oils
• its Form is their actual Motion
• its Genus, an Aggregate

When these Particles are feparately agitated thus, and at a confiderable diftance from one another, they make what we call Warmth.

But when a great number of these intensely moved Particles come together, that is, when the Fire burns ftrongly, the parts of the bodies contiguous thereto, are impelled, according to their degree of mobility.

These parts the nearer they approach to the mobility of those that are properly igneous, so much the more intenfely will they be impell’d by the Fire.

The more they are impelled, the stronger will they impel those that lie contiguous to them, and drive them away.

This concretive Motion of such parts, that is the particles themselves thus intenfely moved, we properly call Heat.

The impulse they impress on other bodies, at a distance, that are less moveable, we call Calefaction.

6. The immediate Effect which Fire or Heat is the intestine motion of the parts of a Concrete.

This being the primary Diffolver of Continuity, and thence of specific Combination.

7. The mediate Effect of Heat, which is greatly promoted by the progreffive motion of the ambient Air, is a certain expeditious Combination of the fmaller particles of a Concrete.

Tho’ this is preceded by an attenuation and comminution of all the particles of the Concrete, both in figure and bulk; which follows upon their attrition, the consequence of inteftine motion.

8. Distillation is an example of this.

Put water into a tall covered vessel.

Heat the bottom of the vessel.

The bottom part will heat first, then its water.

The water then disperses and are carried as invisible particles to the top of the vessel.

These then come together, collect into drops, and becomes new water.

The heat particles move and impel the particles of the vessel which then impel the particles of water which then impel the air particles.

This increases the motion of the water and the air.

The air carries the water up to the upper part of the vessel where it is colder with its vessel-particles less moved.

Here they amass and collect into aggregates or drops.

9. Distillation makes simple water come into great tenuity by agitatinig its particles. 3 3 f 91 bi of 0: Heat be applied to the bottom of the veffel that im- mediately contains the Water, the veffel itself firft grows warm in this part, and afterward the liquor it contains. The beat being now increa fed, the liquor is gradually difperfed,and carried up in invifible particles to the top of the veffel where these particles impinging against the fides, again amafs together, collect into drops, and be- come a new Water.

The manner of action here appears from the phænomena to be as follows. The Fire. or Heat, that is, a multitude of fmall particles in actual motion, move and impel the small constituent particles of the folid vessel; which being thus impell’d, agitate the particles of the contain’d liquor.

These again impel the air contained in the veffel, and being also rubbed together by their own inteftine motion, they increase the motion of the contain❜d Air, which being now agitated in its finalleft parts, with a fluctuating motion drives off the aqueous parts in great numbers, or carries them about with itfelf, till at length ftriking against the upper part of the veffel, which is colder, and has its fmall parts actually lefs moved, they here amafs and again collect into aqueous Aggregates or Drops.

9. We are here to obferve a remarkable Confe- quence of this Operation, viz. that fimple Water may by its means, or by repeated diftillation, be brought to fuch a great tenuity, by the attrition of its fmalleft particles, as thence to become not only much more volatile or moveable, but even fo fubtile as infenfibly to pass thro’ the fubftance of the containing Glafs, as it were by tranfpiration; which we find confirm’d by the teftimony of very credi- ble authors. And Gremfius afferts, that by the bare