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Show Lea. IV. Effential and Marine Lea. IV, ‘folution ofBodies. This I have formerly mentioned forthe Imitation Difcourfe of Nature,in producing a Marine or Muriatick Salt out of the Lixivial ofMexture Salt of a Plant. But {ome Learned Perfons then prefent, feeming to Ch. 5.Inft. doubt of the Experiment; I thought it requifite to profecute the fame a little farthers that fo,if poffible, it might be come clear and unquefttonable. And becaufe that Method wasimperfect, and required half a year, ora longer time: I bethought myfelfof an other way; which : proved far better, and more expedite. And which,withall, afforded me, not only atrue Marine Salt, out ofthe Lixivial salt of a Plant 5 but alfo another kind of salt, different from them both: which may not be improperlycalled, an Effential Salt or Nitre of Plants. The Hiftory or manner of the production of them both, is as follows. 3. §. December 15. 1675, I took about half a pound ofa {trong Solution of the Lixivial Salt of Firne: and pouring it into an Earthen Pan, well glazed, broad and hallow, expofed it therein to the open Aer, ina Chamber Window, to evaporate of it felf. 4. §. This Solution or Lee, although it was very clear before, and having ftood corked up in a bottle many days, had no fedement 3 yet {tanding nowinthe open Aer,within the {pace of 4. or 5 days, it began to let falla very white Sedement, \ikefine Chalks which encreafed daily for 8 or rodays 5 amounting at laftto about halfa Drachm of white, light and meer Earth, altogether infipid, and whenit was well wathed, {tiring not upon the Affuxfion of Acids. 2 : 5. §. Within the {pace of a day or twoafter this white Sedement began to fall tothe bottom; there was alfo gatherd on the top, a kind of foft Scum or Cremor, wherewith the Solvtion was covered all over 6. §. Within 8 or 9 daysafter the firft expofing of the Liquor, or 2 or 3 daysafter the gathering of the Cremors that Salt, whichI take leave to call, an Effential salt of Plants, began to appears fhooting into feveral little Cryfals, Thefe Cryffals, as they grew bigger, began to fink, and at laft fell down tothe bottom of the Pax. 7. §. Upon theirfirft generation or thooting, the faid Cremorprefently breaks, leaving a bare {pace round about each Cryfdal ; and upon the bounds of every fpace is indented the {pace growing bigger and bigger together with the Cry/fal in the Centre. And fo, by that time the Cryfals are grown to a confiderable numberand bignels, the Cremor vanifhes away, the feveral Circles or bare places breaking at laft one into anotherall over the Surface of the Lee. After which, it never comes again, 8. §. From whence it feemeth, That the feveral Circles or bare Spaces about the Cry/fals, are made for the more free admiffion of the Aer, requifite to their Gezeration. For as there is no Cryfial begins to be formed before there is a breach made in the Cremor : fo that breach is enlarged together with the Cry2al. So that as the falling of the Sedement andthe gathering of the Cremor,{heweth that the Aer,asa Menfiruumfeparates fome part fromthe Lee: fo the breaking of the Cremor afterwards, that as a Vehicle, it brings fomething to it: both in order to the Generatzon of the ryflals. Nature taking a Methodfor the Gencration offimpler Bodies, as well as of thofe which are Compounded and Organical. 9. §. ” Salts of Plants. The Figure of thefe Cryftals is angular and oblong, moft of them about thefifth, fixth or feventh of an Inch; but none of them very regular. Yet we are not hence to conclude, but that with the help of fome Circumftances which might be wanting in the fhooting of thefé 5 fome portion of regular ones may be obteined from this, as well as other Lixivial Salts hereafter mentioned. 10. §. They are fomewhattranfparent, and of a dark Ambar Color, or like that of brown Swgar-Candy. Of a quite different Ta/fe from that of the Solution or Lee out of which theyare bred ; being not at all Lixivial, but very weak and mild; not Sait, but Bitter in a good degree. 11. §. It isalfoobfervable, that Alkaline and Acid salts being both poured feverally upon thefe Cry/tals, theyftir not, nor are any way affeSted with either of them. So that thefe Cry/tals are no fort of Turtar, or Tartareous Salt. Asis plain, from the mannerof their Geveration ; Tartarbeing {till bred in clofe Vefels; thefe never, but byexpofing the Liquor to the Aer. As alfo from their Taste, being not fower, in the leaft, but bitter. And in that Tartar will make a Bullition with Alkaline Salts, which thefe will not do. Upon which accountsit appears, that they are a Salt different in Nature from all other Salts hitherto known, or anewSpecies added to the Inventory of Nature. 12. §. Thefe Crystals within the {pace of about a fortnight after their firft Generation, did alfo ceafe to fhoot any more, but only increafed alittle in their Bulk, After whichtime, I dayly expected to fee the produGion alfo of atrue Marine salt. And about two months after the faid Efential Crystals had done hooting, and not before, this alfo began to fhoot, in many fmall Cryftals, and at the top of the Sol- tion, as the other did, {till falling to the bottom as they grew biger. ae §. The Size of moft of them was near that of the Flakes or Grains ofBay-Salt. The Colour of fome of them white, ofothers tran- parent 5 and of others white in the Cevtre, with tranfparent Edges 5 as 1s alfo ufual in the Cry/tals of Common Salt. 14. §. The Figure of moftis a perfect square, and of very many coming near to a Cubes which is alfo the Figure of Common Salt, and feldomean exact Cube. An exact Cube, being the conftant property of no Marine Salt, that I know of, except that of the Dead Sea. Divers Tab. 83: of them werealfo raifed as it were by feveral {teps from a deep Centre tothe Top: as is often feen in the common fhooting of Common salt ; and not inany other. Their Tate is neither Lixivial, as that of the Solution out of which they fhoot ; norbitterifh, as that of the Effential Cryftals; nor fowerith, as that of Tartar; but the perfed Tafte of Common Salt. 15. §. It is alfoto be noted, Thatif Oy/of Vitriol, and fome other {trong Acids, be poured uponthis artificial sea-Salt, they make an Ef fervefcence together: but if Spirit of Salt or Spirit of Nitre either be poured on it, though it be never fo ftrong it ftirrethit not. In both which, andall the formentioned refpeéts, it anfwers to the Properties of a Marine or Common Salt, which no other Salt doth, I conclude it there- fore to be a true Marine Salt produced by Art in the imitation of Nye ture, CHAP, |