from the Pyrite s. 279 



oh, though others would by it underftand, not a 

 thing burnt, but a foffile matter, namely, a red 

 .die mineral, and would mean by it the chalci- 

 tes itfelf, though not fo properly to be called a red 

 vitriol, as a red vitriolic mineral : we alfo find it 

 called rubrica, which is to be diftinguifhed from 

 Che rubrics fabrilis P or fcriptoria, [ruddle] u fed for 

 drawing and writing. 



In fhort, the higheft acid in nature, and a me- 

 tal, are what conititute vitriol; the refolution there- 

 of evinces this truth plainly enough, and the com- 

 pofition confirms and puts it beyond all doubt. 



Vitriol bears a great many names. Vitriolum feems 

 to be derived to it from its glafly tranlparency and 

 fplendor. Atr amentum is another appellation for- 

 merly much ufed. Chalcanthum was the common 

 name among the Greeks, denoting properly a cop- 

 per -vitriol, or rather, flowers or efflorefcences from 

 copper-pyrites, or ores, under which they mud 

 needs have comprifed xhtfideranthos, or flowers of 

 iron, or rather the efrlorefcence of iron-pyrites, as 

 they made no exprefs mention of iron- vitriol, tho' 

 in fact, the latter fs more plentiful than the other, 

 and its pyrites vitriolifes fooner. Such are the mod 

 common appellations of vitriol. 



(2.) Under the head of the kinds of vitriol we 

 find a great deal of ambiguity, ccnfufion, and con- 

 tradiction, from the feveral appellations, Sory, 

 Mify, Melantaria, Chalcites, Air amentum, &c. which 

 authors give us as the names of fo many diftincl: 

 kinds. Mify is faid to be a yellow vitriolic con- 

 crete. M. Lincke fent me, from the Hartz, a 

 fifken-ycllow, clear, flakey, powdery matter, under 

 this title, confifting, indeed, of martial vitriol, 



T 4 but 



