The Sceptical Chymist: or Chymico-Physical Doubts & Paradoxes, Touching the Spagyrist's Principles Commonly call'd Hypostatical; As they are wont to be Propos'd and Defended by the Generality of Alchymists. Whereunto is præmis'd Part of another Discourse relating to the same Subject.Boyle, Robert
Philosophy
The Sceptical Chymist: or Chymico-Physical Doubts & Paradoxes, Touching the Spagyrist's Principles Commonly call'd Hypostatical; As they are wont to be Propos'd and Defended by the Generality of Alchymists. Whereunto is præmis'd Part of another Discourse relating to the same Subject.
Boyle, Robert
Chemistry -- Early works to 1800
And first, I have partly noted above, that though Chymists pretend
from some to draw salt, from others running Mercury, and from others a
Sulphur; Yet they have not hitherto taught us by any way in us
[Errata: use] among them to separate any one principle, whether Salt,
Sulphur, or Mercury, from all sorts of Minerals without exception. And
thence I may be allow'd to conclude that there is not any of the
Elements that is an Ingredient of all Bodies, since there are some of
which it is not so.
In the next place, supposing that either Sulphur or Mercury were
obtainable from all sorts of Minerals. Yet still this Sulphur or
Mercury would be but a compounded, not an Elementary body, as I told
you already on another occasion. And certainly he that takes notice of
the wonderful Operations of Quicksilver, whether it be common, or
drawn from Mineral Bodies, can scarce be so inconsiderate as to think
it of the very same nature with that immature and fugitive substance
which in Vegetables and Animals Chymists have been pleas'd to call
their Mercury. So that when Mercury is got by the help of the fire out
of a metal or other Mineral Body, if we will not suppose that it was
not pre-existent in it, but produc'd by the action of the fire upon
the Concrete, we may at least suppose this Quicksilver to have been a
perfect Body of its own kind (though perhaps lesse heterogeneous then
more secundary mixts) which happen'd to be mingl'd _per minima_, and
coagulated with the other substances, whereof the Metal or Mineral
consisted. As may be exemplyfied partly by Native Vermillion wherein
the Quicksilver and Sulphur being exquisitely blended both with one
another, and that other course Mineral stuff (what ever it be) that
harbours them, make up a red body differing enough from both; and yet
from which part of the Quicksilver, and of the Sulphur, may be easily
enough obtain'd; Partly by those Mines wherein nature has so curiously
incorporated Silver with Lead, that 'tis extreamly difficult, and yet
possible, to separate the former out of the Latter. [Errata: latter;]
And partly too by native Vitriol, wherein the Metalline Corpuscles are
by skill and industry separable from the saline ones, though they be
so con-coagulated with them, that the whole Concrete is reckon'd among
Salts.
And here I further observe, that I never could see any Earth or Water,
properly so call'd, separated from either Gold or Silver (to name now
no other Metalline Bodies) and therefore to retort the argument upon
my Adversaries, I may conclude, that since there are some bodies in
which, for ought appears, there is neither Earth nor Water. [Errata:
Water;] I may be allow'd to conclude that neither of those two is an
Universal Ingredient of all those Bodies that are counted perfectly
mixt, which I desire you would remember against Anon.
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