ftijti , A St-Sf EM OF , .. 



by the addition of the phlogiflon they/ had loft in 

 their decompofition *„ 



SECT. CLXIV. 



The First Order. 



Metals, Met alia \ 



i. Gold, Aurum, Sol Chymicorum. 



This is by mankind efteemed as the prin- *. 

 cipal and firft among the metals-, ancl thar* 

 partly for its fcarcityy but thietly^fo^ rts'foU 

 lowing qualities. "* * 



i. It is of a yellow mining colour. 



2. It is the heaviell of all known bodies, its 

 fpecific gravity to water being as 19,640 

 to 1000. 



3. It is the rnoft tough and ductile of all 

 metals •, becaufe one grain of it may be 

 ftretched out fo as to cover a filver wire of 



* Thofe metals which in a calcining heat lofe their phlo- 

 giflon, and confequeritly with that the former coherency of 

 their particles, are called imperfett, as tin, leady. copper, and 

 iron, and all the femi-metals (of which more hereafter) : not- 

 withstanding which they niay be malleable. But thofe which 

 cannot be deftroyed in the fire alone are called ferfeSi t as gold, 

 filver, and platina del pinto. Neverthelefs, the metals have 

 commonly been confidered more with regard to their mallea- 

 bility than to their fixity in the fire, and are therefore di- 

 vided into, 



A. Malleable, which are called metals ; and 



B. Brittle, which are called femi metah. 



The zinc is, however, as a medium between thefe two 

 divifions, juft as the quickfilver is between the perfect 

 and imperfect metals, becaufe the quickfilver may indeed 

 be lo far deftroyed in the fire, that its particles are fepa- 

 rated during their volatilifation j but every one of them r 

 even the minuteft, retains however the phlogiflon united 

 with it. 



the 



