*6 £>f t&e ^ecfcantcal ©?tgtne 



by them that make them, but yet 

 may hint or confirm Theories to 

 thofe that rcfleft on them. The In- 

 ftance, I here fpeak of, is that which 

 is afforded by the vulgar Prepara- 

 tion of Bezoardicum Miner ale. For, 

 though the redtifted Butter or Oil of 

 Antimony ^avA the Spirit of Nitre that 

 are put together to make this white 

 Vr<ecipitate> are both of themdiftilled 

 liquoursj yet the copious powder, 

 that refults from their Union, is, by 

 that Union of volatile parts^ fo far 

 fixt, that, after they have edulcora- 

 ted it with water, they prefcribe the 

 calcining of it in a Crucible for five 

 or fix hours : which operation it 

 could not bear, unlets it had attained 

 to a confiderable fixation. This dif- 

 courfe fuppofes with the generality 

 of Chymifts, that the addition of a 

 due quantity of fpirit of Nitre^ is 

 neceflary to be employed in making 

 the Bezoardicum Miner ale. But if it 

 beatrueGbfervation, which is attri- 

 bu&ed to the Learned Cuntkerus Bil- 

 Itching (but which I had no Furnace 



at 



