# Effential and Marine Lea. IV. 
folution of Bodies. This I have formerly mentioned for the Imitation 
Difiourfe of Nature, in producing a Marine or Muriatick Salt out of the Lixivial 
of Mixture Salt of a Plant. But fome Learned Perfons then prefent, feeming to 
Ch. 5.Inft. doubt of the Experiments I thought it requifite to profecute the fame 
2. a little farther; that fo, if poflible, it might become clear and unquefti- 
onable. And becaufe that Method was imperfeét, and required half a 
year, ora longer time: I bethought my fel£of an other ways which 
proved far better, and more expedite. And which, withall, afforded 
me, not only a true Marine salt, out ofthe Lixivial salt of a Plant 5 
but alfo another kind of salt, different from them both: which may 
not be improperly called, an Efential salt or Nitre of Plants. The 
Hiftory or manner of the produétion of them both, is as follows. 
3. $.. December 15. 1675, I took about half a pound ofa ftrong 
Solution of the Lixivial Salt of Firne: and pouring it into an Earthen 
Pan, well glazed, broad and fhallow, expofed it therein to the open 
Aer, ina Chamber Window, to evaporate of it felf. 
4. $. This Solution or Lee, although it was very clear before, and 
having ftood corked up in a bottle many days, had no fedement: yet 
ftanding now in the open Aer,within the fpace of 4 or 5 days, it began 
to let falla very white Sedement, like fine Chalk, which encreafed dai) 
for 8 or 1odays3 amounting at laft to about halfa Drachm of white, 
light and meer Earth, altogether infipid, and when it was well wathed, 
ftirring not upon the Affifion of Acids. 
5. $. Within the fpace of a day or two after this white Sedement 
began to fall to the bottom; there was alfo gatherd an the top, a 
kind of foft Scum or Cremor, wherewith the Solution was covered all 
over. 
6. $. Within 8 or 9 days after the firft expofing of the Liquor, or 
2 or 3 days after the gathering of the Cremor ; that Salt, which I take 
leave to call, an Effential salt of Plants, began to appears hooting 
into feveral little Cryffals, Thefe Cryffals, as they grew bigger, began 
to fink, and at laft fell down tothe bottom of the Paz. 
7. $. Upon their firft generation or fhooting, the faid Cremor pre- 
fently breaks, leaving a bare fpace round about each Cryftal ; and upon 
the bounds of every fpace is indented; the fpace growing bigger and 
bigger together with the Cryf?al in the Centre. And fo, by that time 
the Cryflals are grown to a confiderable number and bignefs, the Cre- 
mor vanithes away, the feveral Circles or bare places breaking at laft 
one into another all over the Surface of the Lee, After which, it ne- 
ver comes again, 
8. $. From whence it fecmeth, That the feveral Circles or bare 
Spaces about the Cryßals, are made for the more free admiflion of the 
Aer, requifite to their Generation, For as there is no Cryftal begins to 
be formed before there isa breach made in the Cremor : fo that breach 
is enlarged together with the Cryfal. So that as the falling of the 
Sedementand the gathering of the Cremor,theweth that the Aer asa Men- 
firuum feparates fome part from the Lee: fo the breaking of the Cremor 
afterwards, that as a Vehicle, it brings fomething to it: both in order 
to the Generation of the Cryfials. Nature taking a Method for the Genes 
ration of fimpler Bodies, as well as of thofe which are Compounded and 
Organical, 
9 $. 
