VOL. XLI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 53? 



to the curious in England, to give tliem an abstract of the three papers the 

 Doctor communicated to the Royal Society concerning his Spiritus Vini ^Ethe- 

 reus. The first he gave in on Feb. \g, 1729-30, along with wliat is printed in 

 N° 413 of these Transactions, but was desired by the author not to be pub- 

 lished at that time. In this paper he says, you must " take of oil of vitriol, 

 and the highest rectified spirit of wine, equal parts by weight, not by measure; 

 that the oil of vitriol was to be poured by little and little into the spirit of wine, 

 because they will grow hot on mixing; that they should be shaken often, that 

 they may mix thoroughly; then to be digested gently in a glass retort, and a 

 large receiver to be applied and luted on, lest the subtile spirits should fly away: 

 then distil them in an athanor, in gentle digestion, for 3 days; and pour back 

 the distilled liquor, till the liquor in the recipient appears double, or of two 

 sorts. Thus far, he says. Sir Isaac Newton was acquainted with the process."* 



He then proceeds almost in the very words of the late Mr. Godfrey [Han- 

 ckewitz] as printed in the Transaction quoted above. 



He concludes, by telling us, that the first part of the process, till we come 

 to the separation of the two liquors, is mentioned by Caneparius, in his book 

 de Atramentis, first printed at Venice, and afterwards at London, then by the 

 great Mr. Boyle, afterwards by Sir Isaac Newton; that Dr. Stahl, and Professor 

 Hoffman, were the first in Germany who knew the first operation from Kun- 

 ckel; but neither of them brought it to perfection, or knew the effects of it.-f- 

 In France M. Homberg undertook an experiment somewhat analogous to this, 

 with sulphur and oil. 



The second paper was communicated on the 12th of February 1740-1, in 

 Latin, and contains an ample account of the whole process, with improvements 

 and additions: but as the author in his third paper, given in Feb. IQ, 1740-1, 

 in English, says that that is the truest and most advantageous process. Dr. M. 

 presents it as follows, only subjoining the differences and additions in the se- 

 cond paper, by way of note or explication. 



Take 4 lb. in weight of the best oil of vitriol, and as much in weight of the 

 best alcohol, or the highest rectified spirit of wine. 



1. First, pour the alcohol into a chosen glass retort; then pour in, by little 

 and little, 1 oz. of oil of vitriol; then shake the retort, till the two liquors are 

 thoroughly mixed, when the retort will begin to grow warm ; then pour in more 

 of the spirit of vitriol, and shake it again ; then the retort will become very 



• So long ago as the time of Rayraund Lully this process was in use; see his Epist. Accursatoriai 

 p. 327, and Weidenfeld's Secrets of the Adepts, p. 251. — Grig. 



+ But Baron •*•», at Vienna, knew the whole process, and it is said Frobenius learned it of him. 

 — Orig. 



VOL. VIII. 3 Z 



