602 I'HILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1733. 



diice water, and earth, salts, or an acid spirit, and a urinous unctuosity, in more 

 or less quantity, according to the nature of the body ; and where there is one of 

 these, there is fire to be demonstrated, but not without each other's help. 

 The encheiresis of this would be too long for this place, he therefore omits 

 it here. 



From this preparation of phosphorus, we may reflect on the fuligo, or soot, 

 of all combustible substances ; for it is the phlogiston only that burns and pro- 

 duces flame; it exists in sulphureous bodies, and unctuous earths, in pitch, 

 rosin, wax, and oils; and in the fat of animals: but the finest exists in ardent 

 spirits, which when brought to that surprising subtilty, as that liquor described 

 by Dr. Frobenius in Trans. N° 413, do truly deserve the name of ether. 



From what has been said, we see, ] . That the saponaceous magma of urine 

 has great affinity with common sulphur; being a sulphureous body, composed 

 of an acid and depurated oil, joined with a small proportion of earth.* 2. This 

 phosphoreal magma comes very near to Romberg's pyrophorus,-|- which wants 

 only the salt of urine in it, instead of which, alum is used to fix the sulphur. 

 3. We may observe hence, that urinous particles exist in greater abundance in 

 animals ; but that phlogiston abounds most in vegetables, from v\ hich is pre- 

 pared that fine ethereal spirit shown by Dr. Frobenius. 4. We produce the 

 phlogiston out of fat substances; and from the phlogiston, fuligo, or soot; 

 and from the fuligo a urinous salt. 5. From the corrosive oil of sulphur, we 

 have a pure subtle oil, which is intimately combined with it, and is the actual 

 fire of the phosphorus, that by barely rubbing, or the least degree of heat, is 

 kindled into flame. 6. He who knows perfectly the method of making phos- 

 phorus, can choose whether he will sublime his magma of urine into phospho- 

 rus, or into sulphur ; for the difference consists only in the encheiresis.;}: 



Observations oj' the Appearances amo7ig the Jixed Stars, called Nebulous Stars. 

 Bij IV. Derham, D. D. Canon of IVindsor, F. R. S. N° 428, p. 70. 



Dr. Derham having, in autumn 1732, made some good observations, with 

 his 8-foot reflecting telescope, of the appearances in the heavens, called Ne- 

 bulous Stars, conununicated them to the Royal Society, to incite others to 



* See note p. 599 of this vol. 



t Homberg's pyrophorus (wiiirli must not be confounded with Hoinbergs phosphorus improperly 

 so called) would appear to be a compound of sulphuret of potass and charcoal, the alum being de- 

 composed in the process for preparing it. His pyrophorus therefore is a ve:y different substance from 

 the phosphorus described in this paper. 



I This is very erroneous, phosphorus and sulphur being totally distinct substances^ by no enchei- 

 resis can the one be converted into the other. 



