] [Book VI, 



CHAP. XIX. 



ARSENIC. 



Natural Hilary of Arfenic. Mode of reducing it to the metallic Form.. 

 White Enamel. Or piment. Realgar. Its Ufe in Medicine, ~ 

 A dreadful Polfon ; bow to detett it in the Body. A Remedy for the 

 Pcifon of Arfenic. 



ARSENIC is often found native, in black heavy 

 maffes, but not very brilliant. It has fome- 

 times the metallic luftre, and reflects the colours of 

 the rainbow; in its fracture it is more brilliant than at 

 its furface, and feems compofed of a great number of 

 fmall fcales. Native arfenic is very eafily known, 

 when it has the metallic brilliancy and fcaly texture. 

 It is, however, more frequently found in the form of 

 a powder, or, in chemical language, of flowers *, or 

 mixed with certain earths. Cobalt ores contain much 

 arfenic, and that which is commonly fold is brought 

 chiefly from the cobalt-works in Saxony. The ore is 

 thrown into a furnace, refembiing a baker's oven, with 

 a flue or horizontal chimney, nearly t\vo hundred 

 yards long, into which the fumes pafs, and are con- 

 denfed in. the form of a grey or blackifh powder. 

 This is refined by a fecond fublimation in clofe vef- 

 fels, with a little pot afh to detain the impurities. As 

 the heat is confiderabie, it melts the flowers into thofe 

 white cryftalline mafies which are met with in com- 

 merce. 



The regulus is obtained from this fubftance, which 



* Flowers, in the old chemical language, means thofe matters 

 which by heat are raifed into the neck of a retort in the form of 

 very fine powder, as flowers of fulphur, .&c. I; was, probably, 



originally /car, 



