C 53 2 1 
with flacked lime, makes very fine /Ether. The 
fpirit of wine, which was put into the vefiels E and 
F to condenfe the vapours, is fio highly charged 
with /Ether, that it will feparate on wafhing with 
water. This fpirit of wine is alfo an exceeding rich 
fpiritus nitri dulcis. 
What remains in the matrafs contains a quantity 
of fpirits of wine, which may be feparated by di- 
ftillation. 
On the Diftillation of the Nitrous Acid, fee fig. 2. 
The quantity that is condenfed in water dur- 
ing the diftillation of this acid fpirit is fo fmall, 
that it would be fcarce worth having, if it was not 
to prevent thofe noxious fumes, which have fuch 
an effedt on the lungs of the operator, as frequently 
to make him fpit blood. 
Water highly charged with thefe fumes by re- 
peated diftillations becomes blue, and retains its 
colour *. 
I once diftilled, in an iron body with a ftone head, 
30 lb of nitre, with 60 'lb of green vitriol, which I 
had calcined to whitenefs, and was obliged to make 
ufe of two vefiels of water, as in fig. 5, at F and 
G, to condenfe the vapours: this water became 
* Oil of vitriol was ufed in this operation, to fet free the acid 
of nitre ; and I found upon trial the fumes condenfed in the wa- 
ter to be a pure fpirit of nitre : whereas, ia the other operation, 
where calcined vitriol or copperas was ufed, the fumes contained 
fome acid of fait. This led me to try the common green coppe- 
ras, and I found it contained a por:io,i of iron united to the acid 
of fait : whereas the Dant&iclc copperas or vitriol contains no 
acid of fair, and therefore is fitter to make an arjua fortis for the 
refiners ufe. . . 
