OF THE ORIGIN OF CHEMISTRY. 37 



**' color, ex illo alius atquc alias fit in vcfte, ac- 

 ** cipicntis medicament! qualitate mutatus, nee 



** poftea ablui poteil *." Surely this is a de- 



fcription of the colouring of filks. 



But let thcfe proofs fuflicc. Some of them are 

 indeed not quite fo accurate, and others are ra- 

 ther exaggerated: But we arc not therefore to 

 conclude, that though many chemical arts were 

 not invented by the Egyptians, they were not 

 cultivated fuccefsfuUy by them. Indeed, if we 

 credit Zoiimus, they were acquainted with dif- 

 tillations; for which lie defcribcs various vcfle Is 

 and apparatus, although he paints them in the 

 rudelt manner. Of the fir ft ufe of pitch Pliny 

 fays : " Lignum (trcda) concifum furnis undiquc 

 " igni extra circumdatq, fervet: primus fudor 

 14 aquas .mod o iluit canuli: hoc in Syria ccdrum 

 " vocatur; cui -tanta vis eft, ut in Egypto cor-, 

 " pora hominum dtfunclorum eo perfufa fer- 

 44 ventur. Sequens liquor jam craiHor piccm 

 44 fundit |." Of this we may underftand a clif- 

 tillation per defccnfum. In what manner oil is 

 obtained from pitch he defcribcs clfcwhcrcj; 

 that while it is boiling, fleeces of wool arc fprcnd 

 over it to receive the vapour, which is afterwards 

 exprciTcd from -them. No doubt this is a pro- 

 cefs of diil illation in its infancy. 



Whether they undcrftood ^t^* we cannot 



learn from the antient monuments. Some au- 



C 3 lhoi;> 



* L. xxxv. n. 



f L. xvj. ii. 



} L. xv. 7. 



