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CHAP. XIV. 



Of the Vitriol from the Pyrites. 



TH E title of this chapter may, to many, ap- 

 pear ftrange, particularly to thofe who hear 

 mention made of vitriol-pyrites , in contradiftinction 

 to fulphur -pyrites, as we allow not vitriol the title 

 of an effential, conflituent part of pyrites, but 

 only a new production from it. Vitriol is, indeed, 

 a body formed from pyrites, its parts, though not 

 united in the form of vitriol, exifling in the py- 

 rites, and forming vitriol, without the accefiion of 

 any other foreign body : for, though vitriol be 

 not ufually produced without the action of the air, 

 yet the two effential parts of vitriol, namely, the 

 fulphur acid, and the metallic earth, actually ex- 

 ift in the pyrites. This vitriol production com- 

 monly happens in the very fame procefs whereby 

 the fulphur is procured, though it ufually hap- 

 pens without any defulphuration, even fponta- 

 neoufly : but as many vitriol productions have de- 

 fulphuration for their proximate ground or balls, 

 fo as not well, nay, not at all to happen, efpeci- 

 ally at the day, without the former following it, 

 the bufinefs of vitriols cannot well be omitted, efpe- 

 cially as it gives much light towards a better 

 knowledge of the nature of the pyrites -, though I 

 cannot be fo full and explicit as I could wifh, for 

 want of proper experiments, and can now only 

 touch on tjie principal matters, referving a fuller 

 account of this incomparable metallic-falt for ano- 

 ther opportunity : I ftiall, therefore, with all the bre- 

 vity 







