An account of some experiments on mercury, silver and gold : made at Guildford in May, 1782, in the laboratory of James Price. To which is prefixed an abridgement of Boyle's account of a degradation of gold.

  • Price, James, 1752-1783.
Date:
1782
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An account of some experiments on mercury, silver and gold : made at Guildford in May, 1782, in the laboratory of James Price. To which is prefixed an abridgement of Boyle's account of a degradation of gold. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    EXPERIMENT VII. Made Saturday May 25th, 1782, in the prefence of The Lords Onflow, King and Palmerftone, Sir Robert Barker, Sir Philip N. Clarke, Bart8, The Rev. O. Manning, B. Anderfon, G. Pollen, J. Robinfon, Clks; Dr. Spence, Wm Mann Godfchall, Wm Smith, W. Godfchall, Junr, Efqrs—Mefsrs Gregory and Ruflell. gij Mercury were taken from the Ciftern formerly men¬ tioned, and in a fimilar manner, and rubbed up with a few drops of Vit. Ether, in the lmall mortar, as in Experiment VI. A bare grain of the white powder was projefted, and afterwards rubbed up with it. The §, which before the addition of the powder had been very bright and fluid, was now perceived by the company to be dull and run hea¬ vily : it was poured out into a fmall glafs veflel, and after Handing for about 45 minutes, was put into a cloth to be ftrained. It now poured fo fluggifhly that the latter por¬ tions of it feemed in a Hate intermediate, between fluidity and folidity, or to ufe a term lefs fcientific, but like many other vulgar ones, very defcriptive, poured grouty. Great part of the fuperfluous Mercury being ftrained off*, a mafs fimilar to an amalgam was left in the cloth : and the remaining Mercury which could not be prefled out, being driven off by fire from a portion (about a fourth) of the whole mafs, a globule of white metal which had all the appearance of Silver, remained, and was kept in a white heat for about two minutes, before the blow pipe. This globule weighed about 10 grains, fo that the whole pro- E dud:.