The Vitriolic Acid dissolves Mercury pretty well: but for this purpose the Acid must be very hot, or even boil; and then too it is a very long time before the dissolution is completed. We have directed the operation to be performed in a retort; because this solution is usually employed to make another preparation called _Turbith Mineral_, which requires that as much as possible of the Acid solvent be abstracted by distillation. Having therefore dissolved your Mercury in the Vitriolic Acid, if you will now prepare the Turbith, you must, by continuing to heat the retort, drive over all the liquor into the receiver, and distil till nothing remains but a white powdery matter: then break the retort; pulverize its contents in a glass mortar, and thereon pour common water, which will immediately turn the white matter of a lemon-colour; wash this yellow matter in five or six warm waters, and it will be what is called in medicine _Turbith Mineral_; that is, a combination of the Vitriolic Acid with Mercury, five or six grains whereof is a violent purgative, and also an emetic; qualities which it possesses in common with the Vegetable Turbith, whose name it hath therefore taken. There rises out of the retort, both while the Mercury is dissolving, and while the solvent is abstracting, a weak Spirit of Vitriol; because a great part of the Acid remains united with the Quick-silver, which at last appears in the form of a white powder: so that, if you do not incline to save the Acid which rises on this occasion, you may, instead of drawing off the liquor in a retort, evaporate it in a glass bason set on a sand-bath, which will be much sooner done. It is very remarkable that, on this occasion, the Mercury may be exposed, without any danger of subliming, to a much greater heat than it is capable of bearing when not combined with the Vitriolic Acid; which shews that this Acid hath the property of fixing Mercury to a certain degree. The white matter, that remains after the evaporation of the fluid, is one of the most violent corrosives, and would prove an actual poison if taken internally. By washing it several times in warm water it is freed from a great deal of its Acid, and so considerably sweetened. The proof is this; if the water used in washing the Turbith be evaporated, there remains after the evaporation a matter in form of a Salt, that being set in a cellar runs into a liquor called _Oil of Mercury_, which is a powerful corrosive. Several authors further direct Spirit of Wine to be burnt on the Turbith, to sweeten it still more.