320 COMBINATION OF MERCURV 



vcral in different parts of the world, is a qucf- 

 tinn I dare not venture to determine. It is well 

 "known, that the profefTors of alchemiilry fought 

 for the bafis and fupport of their art in mercu- 

 ry, which, with tlr.it view, they made the fub- 

 jed of every poflible experiment. While they 

 were thus employed, therefore, it is not unlikely 

 that chance made them acquainted withcorro- 

 live mercurial fublimatc; the preparation of 

 which they feem, from the beginning, to have 

 long reckoned among their fecrets ; or, at lead, 

 to have difcovered it in vague ami enigmatical 

 language. According to Junker, this metallic 

 fait war, called by the ancients Mercurium, and 

 qtiicldllvcr was iignificd under the name of Ar- 



gentum vivum. 



I in. Whether Co rro/tve Mercurial Sublimate can 

 bt prepared by the f At: Mixture .of the Marine 

 Acid and Mercury >' 



THJ: marine acid poured upon Mercury does 

 not difTolve it without the alTilluiicc of heat. 

 Until the prefent day, therefore, corrofivc mer- 

 curial fublimate has always been prepared by 

 the means of fire, in a tedious procefs of fepa- 

 rations and compofitions. It is not abfolutely 

 certain, that J. C. Barchufen polleired the art 

 of combining mercury with the muriatic acid, 

 without employing fuch complicated precedes. 



* The 



