Cm] 
here to this^ fame other fort to that body, according as ci- 
ther is peculiarly dt/pos'd to vtcciVQ one fort rather than 
another. Thus the Mortar in the Joints of old Walls 
and Vaults from Corpufcles attr ailed from the Air^ 
Sprouts out and frames a peculiar kind of Salt. I have 
known a Deal Shelfe moiften d only with the Liquor of 
fixt nitre ^ frofted over with Chriftals of a perfedl inflama-^ 
hie nitre by regaining the proper acid from the Air, all 
one as if fomuch <S^m>of nitre YizA. been pour d on the 
faid Liquor I have feen a Viol half fiird with Oyl of Tar- 
tarper deliquium (by being left open to the Air,) beleta- 
bove the Liquor with peculiarly figurd Cryjtallsy and at 
the bottom were flat Chriftaliz d plates of a Salt which 
without flame crackled on a live Coal and left behind a 
Calx much like Dr. Lyjiers nitrum Calcarium. And ti$ well 
known Colcothar of Vitriol reimpregnated by the Air, will 
by afrefhdiftillation give you its proper Acid as at firfl:. 
Now upon fuch hints as theie, fome (fond of the dodrine 
of Alcali and Acid) might perhaps expedt, fince diffe- 
ring Bodies of an Alcali^ate nature do thus regain their 
proper acids ^ that vice verfa even this mofl: acid Liquor 
Oyl of Vitriol zXio might find its Alcalio{ate ajfociate in the 
Air, from which the violence of fire had before driven it, 
but we could difcover no fuch matter ; the taft of our 
augmented Liquor was ftill purely ^r/^ and only weaker 
than before, whereas it would have been Saltijh had an 
Alcali been combined with it, and itscolour from a deep 
reddijh, became limpid^ all one as if the like quantity of 
fair water had been mixtj but to be more certain in 
this point I diftill'd off the nt^ gaind Subflance y at firft 
it came over as tnfipid as clear water; and urging the 
fire farther, the drops prov'd fowr^ the remaining Oyl in 
the Retort was altogether as Corrofive as at firft ^ 
whence we may infer its Edge was not at all blunted 
by any adjoyn'd Alcali; fo that what the -^^V afforded 
was nothing elfe but meer water only. 
