M * THE HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY, 



alchemiftry, the greater number are fallacious, 

 manyuncertain ; and fomc are of fuch a nature, 

 that, while the faith of hiilory is admitted, they 

 cannot well be called in queftion. The harfh- 

 eft fentence, therefore, that wer can pronounce 

 upon them is, that the perfons who made the ex- 

 periments may poflibly have been deceived 

 themielves; and that, as the different fteps they 

 took are not very clearly related, we ought to 

 fufpend our judgement, until fuch time as we 

 can have an opportunity of repenting the expe- 

 riments under our own immediate obfervation. 

 It mull be acknowledged, however, that more 

 circumfpeclion will be necettary in the invefti- 

 gation of a f abject of this kind, on which parti- 

 cular phyiical opinions are eftablifhed, than of 

 a fact on which every witnefs of common fenfe 

 is able to give a determination *. 



S HI- Of 



* It is now almoft five ycais fincc the eye* of all the wcrlj 

 were attracted by the experiments of Dr. James Price, F. R. S. 

 of London, which fccincd to vcvive the fpirit of of alchc- 

 millry, fo lon^ neglected by every genuine chemitl He 

 produced a red and a white powder that he had prepared him- 

 fclf; with which he boalted he couVJ convert mercury into 

 gold or filver. And th.it he might prove the truth of hid afTer- 

 tions he made fcven different experiments before a number of 

 refpeftablc pcrfuns affcmhled for the purpofe. Sec, " Account 

 41 of fotne Experiments on Mercury, Silver, andGulJ, made at 

 " Onilford, in May, 1782, in the Laboratory of James Price 

 " M. D. F. R. S. Sec. Oxford, 1782. 410.'" Likewifcthe 

 London Clironicle, i^th Oclobcr, 1782, an I "Crell's NcucftJ 

 ' Entdcckun^en in dcr Chemic, th. 8. 17^3. ^275." But 



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