MINERALOGY. an 



with it likewife, if the regulus of anti- 

 mony be previoufly melted with an addi- 

 tion of lime. 



SECT. CCXXXIIL 



Antimony is found in the earth. 

 A. Native, Antimonium nutivum^ five y Regulus 

 Antimonii nativus. 



This is of a filver colour, and its texture 

 is compofed of pretty large mining planes. 



This kind was found in Carls Ort, in the 

 mine of Salberg, about the end of the. lait 

 century ; and ipecimens thereof have been 

 preferved in collections under the name of an 

 arfenical pyrites, until the mine-mafter Mr- 

 Von Swab difcovered it9 real nature, in a 

 treatife he communicated to the Royal Aca- 

 demy of Sciences at Stockholm, in the year 

 1748. Among other remarkable obferva- 

 tions in this treatife, it is faid, firfl, That 

 this native antimony eafily amalgamated with 

 quickfilver; doubtlefs, becaufc it was im-» 

 bedded in a limeftone; fince, according to 

 Mr. Pott's experiments, an artificial regulus 

 of antimony may, by means of lime, be dif- 

 pofed to an amalgamation : Secondly., That 

 when brought in form of a calx, it fhot into 

 criftals during the cooling *. 



* Since native antimony, or, as it is commonly called, re- 

 gulus of antimony was never before defcribed, the poflibility 

 of its exifter.ee has been denied ; and when 1 his lure men- 

 tioned was difcovertd, fomebody publifhed fome doubts of 

 the truth of the whole affair, upon no better foundation than 

 that the fpecimens were very fmall for making experiments, 

 and that it was uncertain if ev r miner^lifed antimony had 

 been found in the mine of Salberg : but thofe reafons are not 

 fufiicient to refute experiments, becaufe men of experience 



are 



