M4 A SYSTEM OF 



jford bo fc h in medicine and common life. The 

 biimurh, it is true, has likevvife in its time been in 

 fome favour with adepts \ but it foon loft its credit, 

 and was left to tho'e who contented themfdves 

 with lefs profpecls tha.n of making gold and t e 

 "universal medicine; as to pewterers, on-work-. \ 

 and other tradefmen, who find their advantage in 

 the fufibil ty of this fe-mi- metal, and its giving co- 

 lour and hardnefs to tin and iead. 



SECT. CCXXVIL 



|. Zink, Speltrc, Zincum. 



a Its colour comes neareft to that of lead, 

 but it does not fo eafily tarnifh. 



h It fhews a texture, when it is broken, as 

 if it were compounded of flat pyramids. 



c. Its fpecific gravity to water is, as 6,900 or 

 700O : : 1000. 



#> It melts in the fire before it has acquired 

 a glowing heat ; but when it has gained 

 that degiee of heat, it burns with a flame 

 of a changeable colour, between blue and 

 yellow ; and if in an open fire, the calx 

 rifes in form of foft white flowers ; but if 

 in a covered veflel, with the addition of 

 fome inflammable, it is diftilled in a me- 

 tallic forai ; in which operation, however., 

 part of it is fometimes found vitrified. 



e. It unites with all tha metals, except bif- 

 muth, ancj makes tirm volatile. It is 

 however not eafy to unite it with iron with- 

 out the addition of lulphur. It has the 

 ftrongeft attraction to gold and copper, 

 and this laft metal acquires a yellow colour 

 by it j which has occafioned many experi- 

 ments 



