V E 11 



V E R 



and the copper is thus expofed to the aftion of the vinegar, 

 during three or four days, or more ; in which time the plates 

 become covered with verdigris. The plates are then to be 

 taken out of the pots, and loft in the cellar three or four 

 days ; at the end of which time they are to be moiftened 

 with water, or with the weak vinegar above-mentioned, and 

 left to dry. When this moiftening and drying o'" the plates 

 have been thrice repeated, the verdigris will be found to 

 have confiderably incrcafed in quantity, and it may be then 

 fcraped off for fale. 



A folution or crofion of copper, and confequently a ver- 

 digris, may be prepared by employing ordinary vinegar 

 mftead of wine, as direftcd in the above procefs. But it 

 will not have the unftuofity of ordinary verdigris, which is 

 ^eceflary in painting. Good verdigris muft be prepared by 

 means of a vinous acid or folvent, half acid and half fpi- 

 rituous. Accordingly, the fuccefs of the operation depends 

 chiefly on the degree of fermentation to which the wine em- 

 ployed has been carried ; for this fermentation muft not 

 have been fo far advanced, that no fcnfibly vinous or fpi- 

 TJtuous part remained in the liquor. Macquer's Dift. Chem. 

 See the procefs as defcribcd by Chaptal, under the article 

 CorpEH, 



The Society of Arts, &c. offered a premium in 1756 

 for the making of verdigris in England ; and in 1760 inti- 

 mated, that it might be made by moiftening with the 

 cheapeft and worft iort of cyder, the marc or remains of 

 apples, pears, goofeberries, currants, floes, crabs, black- 

 berries, or any fruits deprived of their juice by expreflion, 

 proceeding aftervrards by the procefs above deicribed. 

 The premiiuns offered by the Society were feveral times 

 claimed and allowed; and it was refolved, in 1763, that 

 verdigris aftually made of Britifti materials, and fubmitted 

 to various trials, was even fuperior to the foreign. Ac- 

 cordingly, a confiderable manufaftory was eftablifhed, and 

 fuccefsfuUy carried on for the purpofe of making verdigris. 



The goodr.efs of verdigris is judged of from the deepneis 

 and brightnefs of its colour, its drynefs, and its forming, 

 when rubbed on the hand with a little water or fahva, 

 fmooth pafte, free from grittinefs. This concrete is par- 

 tially diflbluble in water and reftified fpirit, and almoft 

 totally in vinegar ; from the acetous folution, well fatu- 

 rated, and left to exhale flowly in a warm air, the greateft 

 part of the verdigris may be recovered in a cryftalline form, 

 called dljlilkd verdigris. See Crystals of Venus, and 

 Copper. 



The cryftals, diftilled with a fuitable fire, in a retort or 

 other like veCTel, give over the acetous acid in a highly con- 

 centrated ftate, but fomewhat altered by the procefs. See 

 Acetic Acid. 



The matter which diftilled vinegar leaves undilTolved, on 

 being mixed with fome borax and linfeed oil, and fluxed in 

 a crucible, yields a brittle metallic fubftance, of a whitifh 

 colour, not unbke bell-metal. Neum. Chem. by Lewis, 

 p. 64, n. a. 



Verdigris is employed externally for deterging foul ulcers, 

 and as an efcharotic ; but it is feldom ufed, though milder 

 than the fulphate or blue vitriol. It is employed as a col- 

 lyrium in chronic ophthalmia. Hoffman recommends it 

 particularly for deftroying the callofities of old fiftulae ; 

 tents of powdered verdjgris, made up with faliva, or other 

 liquids, not fat or oily, confume, he fays, the hardeft callus 

 in three or four days, fo as to render it completely feparable. 

 A detergent ointment, called mel tgyptiacum, is prepared 

 by boihng five parts of verdigris in fine powder with fix- 

 tcen of honey, and feven of vinegar, till reduced to a clear 

 coiififtence. The thinner matter which floats on the top of 



this mixture, after itanding for fome time, is generally uTed , 

 unlefs it be required more acid ; in which cafe, the thick 

 part which has fubfided is fhook up among it. 



In the Edinburgh difpenfatory, aa ointment, called un- 

 guentum ex arugine, has been direfted, compofed of white 

 wax and refin, each two ounces, olive oil one pint, and ver- 

 digris half an ounce. When thefe kinds of applications are 

 employed for venereal or other ulcerations in the mouth or 

 tonfils, great caution is neceffary, left tliey fhould pafs into 

 the flomach ; in which cafe, dangerous and even fatal con- 

 fequences may eufue. 



Verdigris is rarely or never given internally. It has 

 been reckoned tonic, and adminiftered with this view in a 

 dofe under gr. fs. Some recommend it, in the dofe of a 

 grain or two, as an emetic, which produces almoft inftan- 

 taneous effeft, where poifonous fubftances have been take.T, 

 for the immediate rejeftion of them. But warm water, 

 milk, and oils, are much lefs dangerous, and more proper. 

 In too large Jofes, it quickly proves fatal ; and, on diffec- 

 t!on, the coats of the ftomach appear much thickened, and 

 of a green colour. Lewis's Mat. Med. 



M. Navier has lately evinced the falutary effefts of liver 

 of fulphur, and particularly of li\er of fulphur of Mars, ss 

 an antidote ag.iinft the poifon of verdigris. 



Verdigris makes a blue-green colour in paint ; but is 

 generally ufed in yellow, which, by a proper mixture, 

 renders it a true green. It is bright when good ; but foon 

 flies, when ufed in oil. When dilfolved in vinegar, it is 

 ufed in water painting, and is more durable ; it may be alfo 

 dill'olvcd in the juice of rue, and thus produces a fine full 

 green colour, equally fit for wafhing with that diiTolved in 

 vinegar. 



Verdigris, with a decoftion of logwood, ftrikes a deep 

 black, which, when diluted, becomes a fine blue. See 



DviilNG. 



VERDELLO, in Natural Hijlory, the name of a green 

 marble ufed in Italy as a touchftonc, for the trying of gold, 

 &t. 



VERDEN, in Geography, a town of Germany, and 

 capital of a principality of the fame name, on the Aller, 

 which divides itfelf here into two bra'nches, the fmaller of 

 which lies near the town, and is at prefent only frequented 

 by the fhips going up and down the Aller. In the town 

 are four churches, and a Latin fcliool ; 56 miles S.S.W. 

 of Hamburgh. N. lat. 52° 58'. E. long. 9" 15'. 



Verdek, a principality of Germany, bounded on the 

 north and weft by the duchy of Bremen, and on the eaft 

 and fouth by the duchy of Lunenburg ; about twenty- 

 four miles in length, and nearly as much in breadth. 

 This principality confifts for the moft part of heath and 

 dry land, as alfo of forefts ; but on the rivers Weler and 

 Aller is good marfh-land. The Aller waters almoft f,Il 

 the foutherly, but the Wefer a part only of the wefterly 

 boundaries of the country. Verden was formerly a bi- 

 fhopric, founded by Charlemagne. At the peace of 

 Weftphalia, in the year 1648, the crown of Sweden ob- 

 tained the bifhopric as a duchy. In 171 2, the Danes in- 

 vading the duchy of Bremen, the inhabitants of Brunfwick- 

 Lunenburg poffeffed themfelves of it. In 1 715, by virtue 

 of the alliance concluded at Wifmar, it was ceded, together 

 with Bremen, by the king of Denmark, to the eleftoral 

 boufe of Brunfwick-Lunenburg ; fuch ceflion being alfo 

 made again, in the year 1719, by the crown of Sweden. 

 This duchy haa the fame regency with the duchy of Bremen. 

 The inhabitants are Lutherans. 



VERDERER, or Verderor, formed from t'/nVan'uj, 

 which Ulpian ufed in the like fignification, a judicial 



officer 



