314 T& Vitriol 



but alfo in the purified, and even the Pretzfchen- 

 dorff fort, which difcover themfelves by the actual 

 coppery tafte, and by its rednefs after calcination ; 

 this colour certainly indicating fomething metal- 

 line, though, from the tafte, not an iron. 



It might be fomewhat difficult to explain why 

 fuch a white metal-falt fhould not be procured at 

 our vitriol- houfes, equally as at the Hartz, did not 

 the bufinefs depend on the copperinefs of the py- 

 rites, which is obferved to be more diftinguifhable 

 there than with us : and as to its unmetallic earth, 

 we have reafon enough to affirm, it is not of the 

 fame fort with the ground-earth of bitter falts, and 

 arifes, if not from common fait, yet from calca- 

 neus, fpathy flone, from which fuch middle or 

 vitriolated falts indeed may, but a white vitriol, 

 though with the addition of a metallic earth, ne- 

 ver can be prepared -, moreover, we obferve no- 

 thing fpathy among our Pretzfchendorff veins: 

 nay, fuch a vitriolated fait may well contain fome- 

 thing metallic, as the arcanum duplication, which, 

 in the burning or diftilling for aqua fortis, arifes 

 from the alcaline fait petre earth, and the vitriolic 

 acid*, yet fo that its fundamental bitternefs cannot 

 be concealed, though entirely feparable from the 

 metallic impurity; whereas, on the contrary, 

 there is, in the white vitriol, neither bitternefs to 

 be obferved, nor does the metallic tafte ceafe to 

 manifeft itfelf. 



Laftly, we are to take notice, that white vitriol 

 is never found in our grooves •, though, according 

 to Lohneifs, in thofe at the Rammelfberg, it is met , 

 with native in the form of icicles and rofes. Thus 

 much we know, that it is procured in the way of 

 a cryftallifation, not in large moots indeed, but 



like 



