WITH THE MARINE ACID 371 



vlid, of final! globules could have no fuch quali- 

 ty. Some even afcribed to the nitrous acid a 

 part of the peculiar (jualitie&ofcorrofivcfublimatc. 

 Barchufcn was one of the firil who exploded 

 thcfe opinions as erroneous. The mineral acids, 

 lie obfervcd, tl'c greater their fpccific gravity, 

 are fo ir.ucli the Ids volatile, and the arcanum 

 corallinum, which, in his opinion, is produced 

 from vitriolic acid, ought to be equally white 

 andcorrolive nsfublimatctl mercury, were it true 

 that this preparation owes its whitencfs and other 

 peculiar qualities to the vitriolic acid. Although 

 thefe arguments be not very conclufive, yet 

 what liarchulcn wiflics to evince isccrtain, that 

 corroiivcfublimatc iscompofedfolclv by the com- 

 bination of mercury with the marine acid. It 

 jias been already proved, that in corrufivc fubli- 

 jnatc there cxills an excels, in white precipitate 

 a moderate portion, and in fwect mercury a ft ill 

 fmallcr quantity of marine acid. And fmcc the 

 corrolive powers of tiiclc (alts vary nearly in the 

 fame order, it is natural to attribute their acrid 

 quality to that acid. lint upon a more accurate 

 examination, the came appears inadequate to 

 thccllccl. A drachmof acid of fait, if diluted in 

 a due quantity of water, may be drunk with 

 fafety : but even half a drachm of corroiivc iubll- 

 mate, although diluted in the fame quantity of 

 water, proves a mortal poifon. JJclidcs in the 

 compound fait, the acid is intermixed with 

 A a 2 thrc<? 



