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SOME
EXPERIMENTS
CONCERNING
SOME
EXPERIMENTS
CONCERNING
When I found that the chief Persons of the Art agreed in these Principles for a long Time, I have endeavour'd to learn by Experience, by what Artifice a pure unmix'd Mercury might be obtained? Whether it cou'd be extracted out of Metals? What is that other Part of the Metal that is apt to force under its Yoak the free Quicksilver, or Mercury? I am glad to give an Account of what I have discovered; not that I pretend to teach the Art, which I am as far from as any one; but I will faithfully relate some laborious Experiments, and which are so very certain, that they may justly pass for true. Others will not need to repeat them, but may safely make use of these as true upon Occasion. And a diligent Artist, by assuming these Experiments, may apply his Mind farther to others, in order to promote the Study of Chemistry the more. It were to be wish'd, that every Man directed his private Labours to the public Good. Let the first Experiment be this:
The Bottle being opened, there was the same Weight of Mercury, which was covered on all Sides with a very soft, black, copious and fine Powder. I squeez'd it thro' a clean Leather Bag; the liquid and pure Mercury pass'd thro'. The Powder remained in the Bag of a sharp metallic Taste, somewhat resembling the Taste of Copper or Brass.
COROLLARIES.
I suspecting that something of a foreign Nature to it might remain in the Quicksilver, and be separated from it, by Motion, under the Form of that Powder, I brought over all the Mercury in a Glass Retort with a Sand-Heat. When it was all over, I pour'd it again into the same Retort, and forc'd it by Fire, as before. This Method I repeated 60 times. The Mercury was thus distilled 61 times. In the Bottom of the Vessel there were five Drachms of Red Powder; of which hereafter. But this Mercury was very fluid and shining. I got 2 Ounces of this Mercury to be shaken by a Fulling-Mill in the same Manner, and by the same Operation, and for the same Space of Time as in the first Operation.
The Weight was the same: There was a Powder made, soft, black, of a sharp metallic Taste, like Copper or Brass, to the Quantity of 2 Drachms and 26 Grains: So it was above an eighth Part; whereas of the Mercury, as they sell it, scarce ?/??? Part was turn'd into Powder by the same Operations; that is, by the shaking of the Mill.
COROLLARIES.
The 2 Drachms and 26 Grains of the black Powder I heated by a strong Fire, and forced out of a pure Glass Retort, insomuch, that at last the Retort was red hot for 2 Hours.
There were in the Receiver 2 Drachms and 2 Grains of the purest Quicksilver, insipid and shining. There stuck to the Sides of the Glass, which being join'd to the Retort, is luted to a Receiver full of Water, a little Quicksilver here and there, which I could not entirely gather together. In the Bottom of the Retort was a fix'd Spot, small, very thin and fine, and but just visible.
COROLLARIES.
SCHOLIUM.
I exposed to a Fire of 180 Degrees, for several Months, some Quicksilver in Glass Conic Vessels, with flat Bottoms, that were stopt with a chemical inverted Phial: The Quicksilver became black, and gave a black Powder, in all respects alike; from which I learnt, that a Fire in this Degree, produced the same Effect in the Quicksilver as the shaking.
There was then four Drams and a half after 52 Distillations of a sharp, red, shining Powder, purging upwards and downwards: There remained 16 Ounces and 5 Drachms of Quicksilver; so 6 1/2 Drachms were lost. This could not be help'd. Some part expires thro' the Glew; something black, with a little Quicksilver, sticks to the Blotting-Paper every time the Mercury is dried. This is but very little at one time; but when the Work comes to be often repeated, it comes by Degrees to be a considerable part. The Powder produced was heavy, of a red shining Colour, very brittle, of a very sharp, metallic Taste, nauseous, penetrating, hardly to be taken out of the Mouth, disordering the Human Body very much, and for a long time, and disposing to Excretions. The Mercury which had been thus treated, appeared more fluid than common Mercury.
COROLLARIES.
I took care to distill, as before, the 16 Ounces and 5 Drachms of Mercury remaining from the former Operation: I distill'd it so long, 'till there remained none in the Bottom. What was came over, being cleaned and dried, I always poured again into the same Retort. This Work I repeated 448 distinct times. Now this Mercury had been forced by Distillation compleatly 500 times: It had risen always more fluid and pure. The last time I heated the Fire more, but then the red Powder seem'd rather to be lessened than increased, perhaps being in part revived.
The Powder in the bottom of the Retort, weigh'd 1 Ounce, 5 Drams, and 21 Grains. The Mercury remaining after 500 Distillations, weighed 9 Ounces and 5 Drachms: But it happen'd, in so often distilling, that sometimes the Retorts broke, and so some of the Mercury got away, besides what was lost by so often cleaning and drying.
COROLLARIES.
The very fluid and very pure Mercury which remained to the Quantity of 10 Ounces, 5 Drachms, and one half, I distilled out of a pure Glass Retort, till the Mercury was all passed thro' into the Receiver. The Bottom of the Retort was as clean as if it had been just taken out of the Furnace at the Glass-House: But at the Edge of the Surface, where it had stood before the Distillation in the Belly of the Retort, there was a shining Ring, of a beautiful red, fine and fair to the Eye. The Mercury that came out, being purified and dried, I poured again into the same Retort, and forced it into the Receiver. This was repeated ten times: Every time more of the red Powder was made, and in no less Quantity then from the crude Mercury.
The Mercury very vivid and very bright; the fix'd Powder of a beautiful red, but to the Quantity of seven Grains.
COROLLARIES.
Two Ounces, 1 Drachm, and 51 Grains of that Powder, I put into a clean Glass Retort, covered with a Coat of Clay, mix'd or temper'd with Sand. I heated it by Degrees, till at last the Retort, the bare Fire being laid over it, grew almost red with the bright Fire that covered it in the Sand Furnace, for three Hours together.
There came out 1 Ounce, and half a Drachm of pure Mercury revived from that Powder: There remain'd in the Bottom of the Retort seven Drachms and a half of the bright red Powder. Something stuck in the Neck of the Retort, and in the Glass Vessel applied to the Neck of the Retort. Perhaps some was dissipated by so great and lasting a Fire.
COROLLARIES.
Seven Drachms and 37 Grains of that Powder in a very clean Glass Retort, cased over with a Coat of Sand and Clay, I put into the naked Fire, which was carefully increased by Degrees, 'till the little Retort, which was entirely covered with the Coals, grew quite red hot. In this Degree of Heat I kept it for four Hours.
In the Receiver was seven Drams of most pure Mercury reviv'd from this Powder. In the Bottom of the Retort were 15 Grains of a dark, subtle, and fixed Powder, in so strong and lasting a Fire. There was a broad Spot, very thin, of a beautiful red, impressed on the Bottom of the Retort, and, as it were, penetrating into the Glass.
COROLLARIES.
COROLLARIES.
I pour'd a Drachm of Mercury twice distilled into a Glass Urinal, which I fill'd with Rain Water: Then I set the Vessel upon the naked Fire: The Water boil'd strongly for eight Hours, yet so that there still was some Water swimming over the Mercury. The Mercury being afterwards weigh'd, gave a Drachm without any Loss.
Again; I pour'd a Drachm of Mercury into a clean dry Glass Vessel. This I so fitted in a Kettle, that it cou'd not fall aside. I filled the Kettle with Water; I made the Water boil eight Hours. This Vessel was cylindrical, open, two Inches and one half deep, and placed so that the Water cou'd not get in. After this was so done, the Mercury weighed one Drachm without any Loss.
I put pure Mercury into a Glass Vessel, I poured Water upon it; and setting the Still over it, I boil'd it for a long while: No Mercury ascended. I continued boiling, till all the Water being gone out, the Mercury remained dry in the Bottom of the Vessel. However, I did not then increase the Fire; but the Mercury presently ascended to the Sides of the Vessel, and into the Head. The Reason of this appears from what I have written in my chemical Institutions about Water and Fire.
These Statical Weighings were made by Instruments that cou'd not be found fault with, and with the most prudent Care. I spent some Years to prepare Mercury for this Purpose; and, for ought I know, no one else has had any Regard to it. Afterwards, many Things proper for Meditation may be drawn from thence, by proper Judges in this Matter: But I may be allowed to make a few Observations.
COROLLARIES.
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