IMPROVED. 229 



die Mixture for five or fix Hours together, the 

 Mafs will not be fufficiently mixed, but the Quick- 

 filver will remain in larger Globules than it ihould 

 be ; whereas the Bufmefs is to divide the Mercurial 

 Globules as much as may be^ and then they will 

 do moft Service. 



I could fay a great deal in Praife of ^ickfilver, Encomium 

 which is fo admirably form'd by Nature, that it "po^ 

 will intimately mix with moil Metals, Antimony, ^^^'' 

 Iron, and O^ij^^r excepted ; and is itfelf the heavieft 

 of all Metals excepting Gold, which is to ^ickjil-ver 

 as four to three. Many are the Preparations from 

 this Prodigy in Nature, if I may be allowed the 

 Exprefiion : For it has eluded all the Skill of the 

 moil: able Chymifls in all Ages, who frankly con- 

 fefs their Inability to fix it ,• and from any of its 

 Preparations you may again reduce it into its priftine 

 State of Fluidity by the Force of Fire ; and what 

 w^as juft now a fafe, harmlefs, and efficacious Medi- 

 cine, is in an Inftant turned to the rankefl of Poi- 

 fons, and all this from only altering its Form and 

 Fluidity. And whofoever confiders this thoroughly 

 muft allow that the Operation of Medicine is truly 

 Mechanical ; and though our finite Capacities are 

 not able to difcover with any Certainty the true 

 Caufes of the Diftempers ; yet fo far as we can trace 

 the Operation of Medicine, it appears demonfira- 

 tively Mechanical : And he who at Random launches 

 into the Practice of Phyfick without being firft 

 thoroughly acquainted with the Properties of Body, 

 mull make ftrange Havock with Mankind ; neither 

 can he himfelf have the real Satisfaftion which is 

 enjoy 'd by the thinking Part of our Species. 



As I have run into a Digrefiion upon the Subject 

 of ^ickjil'ver, I cannot help taking Notice in this 

 Place of Antimony, which is of fuch common Ufe, 

 efpccially among Farriers, that they make nothing 

 of giving an Ounce or two a Day for fome Time 

 together. 



Antimany 



