I shall tell you at present, that the sowre Spirit of _Box_, not only
would, as I just now related, dissolve Corals, which the other would
not fasten on, but being pour'd upon Salt of Tartar would immediately
boile and hiss, whereas the other would lye quietly upon it. The acid
Spirit pour'd upon _Minium_ made a Sugar of Lead, which I did not find
the other to do; some drops of this penetrant spirit being mingl'd
with some drops of the blew Syrup of Violets seem'd rather to dilute
then otherwise alter the colour; whereas the Acid Spirit turn'd the
syrup of a reddish colour, and would probably have made it of as pure
a red as Acid Salts are wont to do, had not its operation been
hindered by the mixture of the other Spirit. A few drops of the
compound Spirit being Shaken into a pretty quantity of the infusion of
_Lignum Nephriticum_, presently destroyed all the blewish colour,
whereas the other Spirit would not take it away. To all which it
might be added, that having for tryals sake pour'd fair water upon the
Corals that remained in the bottom of the glass wherein I had
rectifyed the double spirit (if I may so call it) that was first drawn
from the Box, I found according to my expectation that the Acid Spirit
had really dissolved the Corals, and had coagulated with them. For by
the affusion of fair Water, I Obtain'd a Solution, which (to note that
singularity upon the bye) was red, whence the Water being evaporated,
there remained a soluble Substance much like the Ordinary Salt of
Coral, as Chymists are pleas'd to call that Magistery of Corals, which
they make by dissolving them in common spirit of Vinager, and
abstracting the _Menstruum ad Siccitatem_. I know not whether I should
subjoine, on this occasion, that the simple spirit of Box, if Chymists
will have it therefore Saline because it has a strong tast, will
furnish us with a new kind of Saline Bodies, differing from those
hitherto taken notice of. For whereas of the three chief sorts of
Salts, the Acid, the Alcalizate, and the Sulphureous, there is none
that seems to be friends with both the other two, as I may, e're it
be long, have occasion to shew; I did not find but that the simple
spirit of Box did agree very well (at least as farr as I had occasion
to try it) both with the Acid and the other Salts. For though it would
lye very quiet with salt of Tartar, Spirit of Urine, or other bodies,
whose Salts were either of an Alcalizate or fugitive Nature; yet did
not the mingling of Oyle of Vitriol it self produce any hissing or
Effervescence, which you know is wont to ensue upon the Affusion of
that highly Acid Liquor upon either of the Bodies newly mentioned.
96