324 COMBINATION OF MERCURY 



fliould be able to refill the aclion of the fire un- 

 til they can be both converted at the fame time* 

 into vapours. We are told that mercury and fal 

 ammoniac being mixed, and expofed to the fire, 

 will yield a final! quantity of. corroiive fublimate. 

 The property of fepa rating acids from the vola- 

 tile alkali, is common to mercury with other 

 metals. On this principle are founded the ex- 

 periments and modes of preparation fuggeflcd 

 by the Count de la Garaye *. ; r 



Stalil has another experiment, in which he pro- 

 duces mercurial fublimate by iubliming together 

 Juna cornea and cinnabar. For, as by the aid of 

 fire, the muriatic acid feparates from the filver to 

 combine with the mercury of the cinnabar, tlir 

 fulphur like wife, being expelled from the mercu- 

 ry, diiVolvcs the fllver,and forms with it fulphurat- 

 cd lilver, or artificial ntintra vitn'ti. This experi- 

 ment dcfervcs to be repeated frequently and 

 with attention; efpccially as it Kailirmed by Pott, 

 that when mercurial corroiive fublimate and lil- 

 vcr filings arc put intoa retort, and.expofed to the 

 fire, mercury will be found metallized in the re- 

 ceiver, and luna cornea remaining at the bottom 

 of the retort. If this refill t is uniform and con- 

 llant, it is a remarkable inllance of the great af- 

 finity between lilver and the muriatic acid. It 

 will admit of explanation upon the principles of 

 double cleclive attraction, by which the parts. 



Macquer m Mem. <!e 1'Acad. dci lie. a. 1752 



