PHYSIOLOGICAL REMAINS. 205 



served none ; the dross the mineral brings being suf 

 ficient. The refiners of iron observe, that that iron 

 stone is hardest to melt which is fullest of metal, and 

 that easiest which hath most dross. But in lead and 

 tin the contrary is noted. Yet in melting of metals, 

 when they have been calcined formerly by fire, or 

 strong waters, there is good use of additaments, as 

 of borax, tartar, armoniac, and salt-petre. 



2. In extracting of metals. Note, that lead and 

 tin contain silver. Lead and silver contain gold. 

 Iron contains brass. Silver is best separated from 

 lead by the test. So gold from silver. Yet the best 

 way for that is &quot; aqua regia.&quot; 



3. For principiation. I can truly and boldly 

 affirm, that there are no such principles as sal, sulphur, 

 and mercury, which can be separated from any per 

 fect metals. For every part so separated, may easily 

 be reduced into perfect metal without substitution of 

 that, or those principles which chemists imagine to 

 be wanting. As suppose you take the salt of lead ; 

 this salt, or as some name it, sulphur, may be turned 

 into perfect lead, by melting it with the like quantity 

 of lead which contains principles only for itself. 



I acknowledge that there is quicksilver and brim 

 stone found in the imperfect minerals : but those are 

 nature s remote materials, and not the chemist s prin 

 ciples. As if you dissolve antimony by &quot; aqua regia,&quot; 

 there will be real brimstone swimming upon the 

 water : as appears by the colour of the fire when it 

 is burnt, and by the smell. 



