from ;& P y r i t e 3, 283 



The atramenta, atrament-ftone, or atrament- 

 ore, in a lax fenfe, denote all forts of pyrites, fo 

 for as they yield atrament, or vitriol, for making 

 ink, or a black colour ; but in particular, a cer- 

 tain mineral, or ftone, in which vitriol formally 

 lodges, only intermixed with earth or ftone. M. 

 Linck has furnifhed me with two famples of it, 

 the one from the Rammelfberg, the other from 

 M. Baier, profeffor at Altorff, which indeed dif- 

 fers a little in colour from the former, though it 

 may be allied to it. Both of them not only yield 

 a vitriol directly in water, but alfo entirely crumble 

 to a brown -red earth ; yet whereas the laft fort 

 tinges iron of a copper-red, but the firfl does not 

 exhibit the fame appearance ; and whereas the for- 

 mer manifefts fome alum, the latter, none at all; 

 and whereas they are properly not a ftone, but a 

 concrete, rather of vitriolic earth, as appears from 

 their falling to pieces in water, it will be no ways 

 improper to fuppofe them a hardened earth, and 

 either formed from weathered pyrites entirely, or, 

 from the vitriolic waters, derived from pyrites. 



Vitriol may be clafTed (1.) with refpect to its in- 

 ternal efTence or nature (2.) its colour and form, 

 (3.) its origin, (4.) its ufe. 



(1.) As to its efTence, or nature, it always has 

 for its bafis a metallic earth, and that either an 

 iron, a copper, or both together * of thefe, either 

 feparately or combined, with the conjunction of 

 the fulphureous acid, vitriol confifts : if of iron, 

 it is called an iron-vitriol ; if of copper, a copper- 

 vitriol ; but if of both together, it may properly 

 be called a mxt vitriol. To this laft may be re- 

 ferred the white vitriol^ which, befides its portion 



©f 



