54 - TZtf Principles of Part II. 



BUT though perhaps it contains none, 

 yet it ftrongly attracts all oils. This is a 

 quality which the chymifh know belongs 

 to all abforbent earths ; thefe they make 

 ufe of to feparate oils from other bodies. 

 Hence it will attract and fix the oils which 

 it meets with in the ground, which fall with 

 the fnow and rain ; and even thofe which, 

 floating in the air, touch its furface. 



To inquire a little further into its na- 

 ture, and feparate its antacid parts from 

 the others, that we might difcover both ; 

 Exp. 24. I took half an ounce of ftone 

 marl in powder, and faturated it widrfpirit 

 of nitre, by adding the acid in fmall quan- 

 tities for five days j the faline liquor was 

 filtred through brown paper. There re- 

 mained in the paper three drachms of a 

 bluifh adheiive earth, which, on trial, ap- 

 peared to be a fine clay. To recover the 

 other part from the faline liquor, I added 

 oL tart. p. del. till no more lactifcency ap- 

 peared - 3 



