Experiments and Considerations Touching Colours (1664)Boyle, Robert
History
Experiments and Considerations Touching Colours (1664)
Boyle, Robert
Color -- Early works to 1800; Colors -- Early works to 1800
I consider'd then that the work of the former Experiments was either to
change the Colour of a Body into another, or quite to destroy it, without
giving it a successor, but I had a mind to give you also a way, whereby to
turn a Body endued with one Colour into two Bodies, of Colours, as well as
consistencies, very distinct from each other, and that by the help of a
Body that had it self no Colour at all. In order to this, I remembred, that
finding the Acidity of Spirit of Vinegar to be wholly destroy'd by its
working upon _Minium_ (or calcin'd Lead) whereby the Saline particles of
the _Menstruum_ have their Taste and Nature quite alter'd, I had, among
other Conjectures I had built upon that change, rightly concluded, that the
Solution of Lead in Spirit of Vinegar would alter the Colour of the Juices
and Infusions of Several Plants, much after the like manner that I had
found Oyl of Tartar to do; and accordingly I was quickly satisfied upon
Tryal, that the Infusion of Rose-leaves would by a small quantity of this
Solution well mingl'd with it, be immediately turn'd into a somewhat sad
Green.
And further, I had often found, that Oyl of Vitriol, though a potently Acid
_Menstruum_, will yet Præcipitate many Bodies, both Mineral and others,
dissolv'd not onely in _Aqua fortis_ (as some Chymists have observ'd) but
particularly in Spirit of Vinegar, and I have further found, that the
_Calces_ or Powders Præcipitated by this Liquor were usually fair and
White.
Laying these things together, 'twas not difficult to conclude, that if upon
a good Tincture of Red Rose-leaves made with fair Water, I dropp'd a pretty
quantity of a strong and sweet Solution of _Minium_, the Liquor would be
turn'd into the like muddy Green Substance, as I have formerly intimated to
You, that Oyl of Tartar would reduce it to, and that if then I added a
convenient quantity of good Oyl of Vitriol, this last nam'd Liquor would
have two distinct operations upon the Mixture, the one, that it would
Præcipitate that resolv'd Lead in the form of a White Powder; the other,
that it would Clarifie the muddy Mixture, and both restore, and exceedingly
heighten the Redness of the Infusion of Roses, which was the most copious
Ingredient of the Green composition, and accordingly trying the Experiment
in a Wine glass sharp at the bottom (like an inverted Cone) that the
subsiding Powder might seem to take up the more room, and be the more
conspicuous, I found that when I had shaken the Green Mixture, that the
colour'd Liquor might be the more equally dispersed, a few drops of the
rectifi'd Oyl of Vitriol did presently turn the opacous Liquor into one
that was cleer and Red, almost like a Rubie, and threw down good store of a
Powder, which when 'twas settl'd, would have appear'd very White, if some
interspers'd Particles of the red Liquor had not a little Allay'd the
Purity, though not blemish'd the Beauty of the Colour. And to shew you,
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