[49^] 
An account of the increafe of Weight in Ojl of Vi- 
triol expos d to the Air. 
Since the Excellent Mr. Boyle has made the a Sub- 
ject of his Obfervations, the Learned World is fufB- 
ceatly taught how vaft afliareit has in producing many 
effeils, which Philofophy never fo much as dream t of be- 
fore,- and if I upon the hint experiment has given us, 
we refle(9: on the infinite variety of Jteams conftantly 
emitted from all forts of Bodyes into the Atmojphere^ 
which are there dijfolvd as it were in a common Men- 
ftruumi we have reafon to expe(9: therein particles e- 
noughof all Jhapes, fit^es and motions fit and proper to «/- 
ter the textureydimintjh or increafe the Bulk^ and weight, 
of almoft any bodycyi^osA to itsadiion. 
As to the Imreafe of Wight ( the bufinefs in hand ) we 
know how bodies Rob'dof fome conftituent parts.by fire 
(as quicklime and allcalxes) flacken and greedily imbibe 
ibmething from the -^^>; and the like is obferv'd in the 
cgiput mortuum, of Sa't, Nitre, Akim and Vitriol. On the 
Jame fcore all fixt Salts run into a fluid per dzliqutumy 
Th th^ Jir, that in /even years fully reimpregnates the 
earth heap't up in the fliade whence Nitre was before ex- 
tradited; tis the -^^> that caules the Effloref hence of Marc a- 
fites zmd Fitriol-Jlones ^ tis the Air that by its acid turns 
the leadol old buildings mtoCerufJe , which without doubt 
increafes in Weight, (" as that made by fire does ) which is 
afferted to be at the rate of fix or feven pound in an 
hundred. The fame Grow?^/? of M^^^^/j- feem to acknow- 
ledge the fame origine, and there are none(Gold\t felf not 
excepted ) but what Agricola, Gerhardus and fome o- 
ther MetallicJ^ Writers obferve to have increas d confide- 
rably by the free accefle of Air to the Shaft s and Grove s-, 
and the very heaps o( I{ubbiflj wdiikit £wmTin Oars here 
in Englandh2iVQ within the memory of man, nay in lo or 
12 years been w(??/g^/- over again with great advantage; 
no^ 
