Experiments and Considerations Touching Colours (1664)Boyle, Robert
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Experiments and Considerations Touching Colours (1664)
Boyle, Robert
Color -- Early works to 1800; Colors -- Early works to 1800
_Next_, take of common Brimstone finely powdred five Ounces, of
Sal-Armoniack likewise pulveriz'd an equal weight, of beaten Quick-lime six
Ounces, mix these Powders exquisitely, and Distill them through a Retort
plac'd in Sand by degrees of Fire, giving at length as intense a Heat as
you well can in Sand, there will come over (if you have wrought well) a
Volatile Tincture of Sulphur, which may probably prove an excellent
Medicine, and should have been mention'd among the other Preparations of
Sulphur, which we have elsewhere imparted to you, but that it is very
pertinent to our present Subject, The change of Colours. For though none of
the Ingredients be Red, the Distill'd Liquor will be so: and this Liquor if
it be well Drawn, will upon a little Agitation of the Vial first unstop'd
(especially if it be held in a Warmer hand) lend forth a copious Fume, not
Red, like that of Nitre, but White; And sometimes this Liquor may be so
Drawn, that I remember, not long since, I took pleasure to observe in a
parcel of it, that Ingredients not Red, did not only yield by Distillation
a Volatile Spirit that was Red, but though that Liquor did upon the bare
opening of the Bottle it was kept in, drive us away with the plenty and
sulphureous sent of a White steam which it sent forth, yet the Liquor it
self being touch'd by our Fingers, did immediately Dye them Black.
_EXPERIMENT XXXV._
The third and _last_ Experiment I shall now mention to shew, how prone
Bodies abounding in Sulphureous parts are to afford a Red Colour, is one,
wherein by the Operation of a Saline Spirit upon a White or Whitish Body,
which according to the _Chymists_ should be altogether Sulphureous, a
Redness may be produc'd, not (as in the former Experiments) slowly, but in
the twinkling of an Eye. We took then of the Essential Oyl of Anniseeds,
which has this Peculiarity, that in Cold weather it loses its Fluidity and
the greatest part of its Transparency, and looks like a White or Whitish
Oyntment, and near at hand seems to consist of a Multitude of little soft
Scales: Of this Coagulated Stuff we spread a little with a Knife upon a
piece of White Paper, and letting fall on it, and mixing with it a drop or
two of Oyl of Vitriol, immediately (as we fore-saw) there emerg'd together
with some Heat and Smoak, a Blood-Red Colour, which therefore was in a
trice produc'd by two Bodies, whereof the one had but a Whitish Colour, and
the other (if carefully rectify'd) had no Colour at all.
_EXPERIMENT XXXVI._
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