admired; But the _Effluviums_ of Amber, Jet, and other Electricall
Concretes, though by their effects upon the particular Bodies dispos'd
to receive their Action, they seem to fall under the Cognizance of our
Sight, yet do they not as Electrical immediately Affect any of our
senses, as do the bodies, whether minute or greater, that we See,
Feel, Taste, &c. But, continues _Carneades_, because you may expect I
should, as the Chymists do, consider only the sensible Ingredients of
Mixt Bodies, let us now see, what Experience will, even as to these,
suggest to us.
It seems then questionable enough, whether from Grapes variously
order'd there may not be drawn more distinct Substances by the help of
the Fire, then from most other mixt Bodies. For the Grapes themselves
being dryed into Raysins and distill'd, will (besides _Alcali_,
Phlegm, and Earth) yield a considerable quantity of an Empyreumatical
Oyle, and a Spirit of a very different nature from that of Wine. Also
the unfermented Juice of Grapes affords other distil'd Liquors then
Wine doth. The Juice of Grapes after fermentation will yield a
_Spiritus Ardens_; which if competently rectifyed will all burn away
without leaving any thing remaining. The same fermented Juice
degenerating into Vinager, yields an acid and corroding Spirit. The
same Juice turn'd [Errata: tunned] up, armes it self with Tartar; out
of which may be separated, as out of other Bodies, Phlegme, Spirit,
Oyle, Salt and Earth: not to mention what Substances may be drawn from
the Vine it self, probably differing from those which are separated
from Tartar, which is a body by it self, that has few resemblers in
the World. And I will further consider that what force soever you will
allow this instance, to evince that there are some Bodies that yield
more Elements then others, it can scarce be deny'd but that the Major
part of bodies that are divisible into Elements, yield more then
three. For, besides those which the Chymists are pleased to name
Hypostatical, most bodies contain two others, Phlegme and Earth, which
concurring as well as the rest to the constitution of Mixts, and being
as generally, if not more, found in their _Analysis_, I see no
sufficient cause why they should be excluded from the number of
Elements. Nor will it suffice to object, as the _Paracelsians_ are
wont to do, that the _Tria prima_ are the most useful Elements, and
the Earth and Water but worthlesse and unactive; for Elements being
call'd so in relation to the constituting of mixt Bodies, it should be
upon the account of its Ingrediency, not of its use, that any thing
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