Part III. OfgMmk 323 
SAND out of a River near Conimbria; in which there 
are fome few fparks of GOLD. Together with a Knob 
of Gold fus'd out of it. Given by Sir Robert Southwell. 
Gold hath the leaft variety of regular figure, 111 the Ore, 
of any Metal.Becaufe,more folid,and therefore, lefs wanton, 
than the reft. Tis a rare Specimen, mcntiond by Georgim 
de Sepibus, (a) which he calls Aurum Ramefcens. The 
Ductility of Gold is admirable : one Gram, in Leaves, is ° J ' 
extended to above fifty inches fquare : and one ounce em- 
ploy 'd in gilding fmall Hair-Wyre, will be extended to al- 
moft an 100 miles in length 3 as Mr. Boyle hath obferv'd,(Z>) E£ 
TheUfesof Gold for Veffels, Coins, Armour, Garments, i^' w> ' 
6cc. are infinite. The Luxury of Galienm the Emperour, 
taught 'him to powder his Hair with the Duft otGold. 
Some Painters, faith Ambrofinus, (c) hang plated Gold over & Aidrov. 
Vinegar, whereby is produced a pure Blew (as Cerufs out of u ' Met * 
Lead) which they prefer before the Ultramarine. Of the 
Art of Refining, fee the Phil. Tranfaftions, (d) (it) n. 142. 
Chymically manag d,it is reduced to feveral forms ? called S?STy *" 
Aurum Potabile, Aurum fulminaus, A. Vita 3 as alfo, Ami Dr. cimjh 
Calx, Crocus, Sal, Sulphur, Ti?iftura, Oleum, Vitriolum, Flos : MemU 
of which fee Libavius, CroUius, Schroder, and others. One 
principal ufe of Gold in Medicine is, for the Correction 
of Mercurial Medicines. The original ufe of Leaf-Gold in 
Electuaries, and divers other Preparations, was not only for 
better grace, but from the opinion of its adding Virtue to 
them. And Plates of Gold, anciently, have been us'd, efpe« 
cially for Children, as an Amulet. Which I take to be the 
true reafon, why the Kings of England hang a piece of Gold 
upon thofe they Touch. 
Pure SILVER , naturally BRAINCHED in the Mine. 
From a Silver-Mine in Suecia. Some of the Branches are 
blackifh being tarniihed 3 the reft of a clear filver colour. 
Some pieces of a white Spar, diffoluble with Spirit of Nitre, 
ftick to them. 
A piece of CAPILLARY SILVER , or with fmaller 
Branches, alfo from the Mine : whith a kind of white 
Rhombick Spar growing to at. Ferranti Imperato & Al- 
drovandus, (e) both give an Example of this kind. Met Muf * 
PLATED-SILVER from the Mine. Argentum nativum 
Bralleatum. It lies in thin Plates, of a clear filver colour, 
T t 2 between 
