368 COMBINATION OF MERCURY 



error has taken its rife, that corrofive mercury 

 can change the colour of gold. 



xxvi. Sweet Mercury dij/blvcd by various 

 Fluids 4 



SWEET mercury has hardly any tafle, as it is 

 with difficulty diilblvcd by water. From the ex- 

 periments of Rolfirle it appears, that even with 

 the ailiftance of tritunition i^nd boiling, 2 ounces 

 of water only dill'olvcs a iingle grain of fwcet 

 mercury; that is, one part only by 1152 of wa- 

 ter. The fvrup of violets is made green by this 

 folution. The fume folution is did u I bed by fix- 

 ed alkali; but much more by the volatile alka- 

 li, which gives it the colour of an opal. There 

 is, however, no cflervefccnce produced, and af- 

 ter a day, there is hardly any precipitation*. 

 Since corroiivc mercury is much more foluble 

 in water, it may be eaiily known, by the expe- 

 riment propofed by Carthcuferf, whether 

 fweet mercury is free from the acid or not, viz. 

 if, after pounding it grofsly, it is macerated in 

 warm water for an hour. But it is better, how- 

 ever, to make ufe of the fpirit of wine, which 

 diilolves the corrofive mercury caller than wa- 

 ter, but the fweet not at all. 



The colour of mercurius dulcis is obfcurcd by 



lime 



Mem. de 1'AcaJ. <lci Sc. dc Parti, a. 1754. 

 t EL CLyw. 



