32^ ESSAYS AND OBSERVATIONS 



.one of tliefe liquors diffolves, the other 

 would diffolve the Tame ; for aqua finis 

 difTolves (ilver and not gold, and, vice ver* 

 fa, aqua rcgia difTolves gold and not fil' 

 ver. 



IV. Th e fol vent power of fome liquors, 

 with relpecl to certain bodies, may be in- 

 creafed, diminiflied, or deflroyed, by a 

 yery fmall and almoft jmperceptibje 

 change of the liquors, 



I put two grains of gold into a drachm 

 o( Jpiitus falif marlni, and fet the glafs 

 on warm fand ; after fome hours, I could 

 obferve no feafible change of the bits of 

 gold, in colour or bulk, nor of the liquor: 

 Then I put into the glafs, as cautioufly 

 as I could, one drop of/piritus nitrj ; af- 

 ter fome time, I found the liquor had af'- 

 fumed a bright yellow, or golden colour, 

 and the gold quite diflblved ; for there re- 

 mained only a few white particles at the 

 bottom, which were probably filver. Thus 

 the very fraall addition of fpiritus nitri 

 yery much increafed the folvent power of 

 '%\it fpiritus falls marini. It is known, 



that 



