METALS. 82. Argentum. 
349 
Found in the gold mines of Sumatra, Ne^ Spain, 
W« and rranfyla^ania, fomctimes in a cryaalhzed form, 
and confifts of gold combined with (ulphur by means of iron, 
die fuTphur is d^fcovered by torrefadion, the iron by muri- 
atic acid and the gold by nitro-muriatic acid, ft frequently 
yMds tm 30 to% ounces of gold in a hundred pounds 
Tveighu 
82 argentum. Of a filvery colour not tar- 
nilhed by the air, hard and tenacious, ionorous, 
exceedinoly malleable and diidtile, Ipecific gra 1 y 
before hammering, 10,478: melting when per- 
fedly red hot and its brilliancy much mcieafed. 
foluble in nitric acid, giving no colour to the 
folucion, and may be precipitated *5. J 
copper, iron or zinc. ' 
Malleable, duaile, with a metallic fplendour internally, 
totally foluble in nitric acid. 
Argentum nudum. Syft. vat. xii. 3- p- 14^' 
Argentum nativum. fyfl. z, p 328. n. 
Native lilver. Kirnvan muieral. 2. p- 'Oa- 
Native filver. Schmeiffer mine-. 2. p. 38- 
Native filver. 'ihomjun chem. 4- p- Z3- 
Capillary filver. Stmerby Brit. min. t. \b. . , , ■ 
FoLd m various parts of Great -Britain, parucularly m the 
copper mines of Cornu'all ■, in the mines of Mexico and Peru, 
and^m moft of the mines on the comment ; it is rarely to be 
n'et with quite pure, but moft commonly combined with a 
greater or lefs propbnimi of copper, and has fomettmes us 
hirface ftriate : it aflumes various forms, and _ is fomettmes 
found in prifras or cubes: in malleability it yields only to 
gold, as it may be beaten out into leaves the 1 60,000th part 
of an inch thick ; and may be drawn out to fo fine a wire, that 
a fingle grain can be extended nearly 40O feet in length ; its 
teuHcitv is likewife fuch, that a wire 0.078 of an inch in dia- 
meter 'will fupport 17.813 pounds avo.rdupo.fe without 
breaking : when melted, if the heat be mcreafed, the liquid 
breai: g ^ volatized : when diffolvcd m 
aS’a:fp:::ipi^cd^n^ime water, it falls to the hot. 
tom in the form of a dark greeniflt brown powder . when 
d°ffilved in nitric acid and precipitated with mercury, it 
VOL. Vll. — I i 
