Metallic Snbflancesi 227 



capable of union with other earths and falts, 

 The phlogifton in all of them is in a pure 

 ftate, that is, free from water and aerial 

 acid, fubftances that invariably accompany it 

 in all other compounds, except acid airs and 

 fulphur. The more earthy part or calx of 

 fome metallic fubftances has been found to be 

 of an acid nature. 



2. There are 17 metallic fubftances now 

 known 5 namely, gold* platina, filver, cop- 

 per, iron, lead, tin, mercury, zinc, regulus 

 of antimony, regulus of affenic. bifmuth$ 

 cobalt, nickel, regulus of manganefe, fyde- 

 rites, and regulus of molybdena. 



Of thefe gold, filver, platina and mercury 

 are reckoned perfect or noble metals, becaufe 

 when calcined they recover their phlogifton 

 without the addition of any phlogiftic fub- 

 ftance : whereas copper, iron, lead and tin 

 cannot be entirely reduced without fuch addi- 

 tion, and hence are called ignoble or imper- 

 fect : however, all thefe (even mercury w r hen 

 folid) are malleable to a great degree, and 

 hence called intire metals * whereas zinc, 

 regulus of antimony, regulus of arfenic, &c. 

 are fcarce at all malleable, and hence are 

 called femi+metals : however zinc and purified 

 nickel are more malleable than any of the 



reft. 



