Experiment VIII
There is an Experiment, Pyrophilus, which though I do not ſo exactly remember, and though it be ſomewhat Nice to make, yet I am willing to Acquaint You with, becauſe the thing Produc’d, though it be but a Curioſity, is wont not a little to pleaſe the Beholders, and it is a way of turning by the help of a Dry Subſtance, an almoſt Golden-Colour’d Concrete, into a White one, the Several Tryals are not at preſent ſo freſh in my Memory to enable me to tell you Certainly, whether an Equal onely or a Double weight of Common Sublimate muſt be taken in reference to the Tinglaſs, but if I miſtake not, there was in the Experiment that ſucceeded beſt, Two parts of the Former taken to One of the Latter. Theſe Ingredients being finely Powdred and Exactly mix’d, we Sublim’d together by degrees of fire (the due Gradation of which is in this Experiment a thing of main Importance) there aſcended a matter of a very peculiar Texture, for it was for the moſt part made up of very Thin, Smooth, Soft and Slippery Plates, almoſt like the fineſt ſort of the Scales of Fiſhes, but of ſo Lovely a White Inclining to Pearl-Colour, and of ſo Curious and Shining a Gloſs, that they appear’d in ſome reſpect little Inferiour to Orient Pearls, and in other Regards, they ſeem’d to Surpaſs them, and were Applauded for a ſort of the Prettieſt Trifles that we had ever prepar’d to Amuſe the Eye. I will not undertake that though you’l hardly miſs changing the Colour of your ſhining Tinglaſs, yet you will the firſt or perhaps the ſecond time hit Right upon the way of making the Gliſtring Sublimate I have been mentioning.