Platina. 239 



matters, by amalgamation. Moft of its par- 

 ticles are friable and magnetic, but fome few 

 are malleable to a confiderable degree, and 

 may be feparated by a magnet, but according 

 to the accurate experiments of Count Sickin- 

 gen, even thefe contain about 1- of their weight 

 of iron. Before it is feparated from quartz, 

 its fpecific gravity is from 6,000 to i i,ooo f 

 and after that feparation from 1 6 to 1 8. It is 

 ibluble only in aqua regia, or dephlogifticated 

 marine acid, and is nearly infufible in terref- 

 trial fires, the great burning lens of Paris only 

 agglutinated its particles in 20 minutes, Mr* 

 Parkers perfectly melted them in lefs than 

 two. It is precipitable from its folution by 

 falammoniac, as our late excellent chymift Dr. 

 Lewis has difcovered, a property by which it 

 is eafily diftinguiihed, and feparated from all 

 other metals. It is not precipitable by the 

 Pruffian alkali, as ail other metals are. 



2. Its ores, if it has any, are not yet known* 



3. Platina is purified from iron by reite- 

 rated coclion in fpirit of fait, folution in aqua 



/egia, and precipitation of the iron, by the 

 Pruffian alkali. When pure, its colour ap- 

 proaches to that of filver, its fpecific gravity 

 is nearly 23,000, it is not in the leaft mag- 

 netic. 



CHAR 



