[ 86o ] 
very particles of the ftamina, and organifed parts to- 
gether, and which, when totally burnt off, leaves 
the whole in afhes. But here, by the way, it fee ms 
evident, that the iulphureous pabulum, fo neceftary 
to the reduction of an antimonial calx, is very dif- 
ferent from the very fubftance of light, or fire : for 
though a vaft deal of the adual light, or fire, adheres 
to the calx, as is manifeft from the great augmenta- 
tion of weight in calcining regulus of antimony by 
the fun- beams, or a culinary fire, yet it by no means 
contributes to its metallic ftate ; on the contrary it 
quite deftrqys it; and the fun-beams, or particles of 
fire, do not combine, but fcatter, the reguline or 
metallic parts, by deftroying the bond of union, the 
internal fulphur. In like manner oil of vitriol, or 
fpirit of nitre, two concentrated and exceedingly fiery 
acids, tear abroad regulus of antimony, and reduce 
it to a calx, by letting loofe the phlogifton, or fulphu- 
reous principle, whence the metallic fubftance is 
quite decompofed. And that this is the cafe, feems 
evident from the very ftrong fulphureous fmell, that 
ariles, when thefe acids are poured on antimony. In- 
deed oil of vitriol takes up the inflammable part of 
antimony, and unites with it into an adual mineral 
fulphur. It feems then, that thefe fiery acids ad: on 
antimony very nearly in the fame manner as the 
fun-beams, or adual fire; and this is one argument, 
amongft many others, of the very great affinity be- 
tween light and acids ; which Sir Xfaac Newton long 
ago hinted. 
That the deftrudion of the internal fulphur of the 
reguline fubftance, in thefe calcinations, is the de- 
ftrudion of the reguline form, and of courfe of the 
2 emetic 
