2 3° Of the Gold 



gjfr*7«-filver 8 as pyrites always contain iron *, and 

 gold be in quickfilver potentially^ not formally and 

 actually, but only in the proximate degree of be- 

 coming fuch. Hence appears, how much depends 

 upon time and fire, and how, from the defect of 

 one or the other, particularly of the higheft degree 

 of a glai's-houfe heat, we may after chance to mil- 

 carry in all our defigns \ and that what we may be 

 apt to afcribe to extraordinary additions and fe- 

 crets, may only be the effect of patience, time, 

 and fire. 



In the next place, Becher's experiment of mak- 

 ing iron from loam and linfeed oil offers itfeU to 

 our notice ; and this leads me to confider fuch ore 

 and metal-fmeltings, where the coal and flame hap- 

 pen to be in immediate contact with them, as is the 

 cafe at all huts for fmelting-ores ; this alfo gives 

 me an opportunity of clearing up a little more the 

 queftion about the transformation of metals, and 

 their mixtions ; how they happen per fe, or, at 

 molt, barely by the fatty wood-coals, and other, 

 either vegetable or animal particles, coming to play- 

 in among them. For, though M. Lemery's re- 

 flections on this experiment flaggered me greatly, 

 in regard to Stahl's opinion about refloring the 

 phlogifton, and its material influx on the metallic 

 earths, nay, almoft brought me over to be of his 

 mind, yet I mall vouch for neither opinion, but 

 leave them to (land or fall, at the judgement of 

 the reader. M. Geoffroy, a member of the aca- 

 demy of ie'ences at Paris, did, in the year 1705, 

 on occafiop of Becher's experiment, (tart the fol- 

 lowing queftion, viz. Whether it were pojjible to find 

 plant- nfnes having no iron? or more diltinctly, Whe- 

 ther thofi iron particles , actually procurable by the 

 magnet from vegetable ajhes, were really in the plants 



in 



