SECTION I.. _of_ Regulus of Antimony.

Of REGULUS OF ANTIMONY.

Regulus of Antimony is a metallic substance of a pretty bright white colour. It has the splendour, opacity, and gravity of a metal: but it is quite unmalleable, and crumbles to dust, instead of yielding or stretching, under the hammer; on which account it is classed with the Semi-metals.

It begins to flow as soon as it is moderately red; but, like the other Semi-metals, it cannot stand a violent degree of fire; being thereby dissipated into smoke and white vapours, which adhere to such cold bodies as they meet with, and so are collected into a kind of farina called Flowers of Antimony.

If Regulus of Antimony, instead of being exposed to a strong fire, be only heated so moderately that it shall not even melt, it will calcine, lose its phlogiston, and take the form of a greyish powder destitute of all splendour: this powder is called Calx of Antimony.

This calx is not volatile like the Regulus, but will endure a very violent fire; and being exposed thereto will flow, and turn to a glass of the yellowish colour of a hyacinth.

It is to be observed, that the more the Regulus is deprived of its phlogiston by continued calcination, the more refractory is the calx obtained from it. The glass thereof has also so much the less colour, and comes the nearer to common glass.

The calx and the Glass of Antimony will recover their metalline form, like every other Calx and Glass of a metal, if reduced by restoring to them their lost phlogiston. Yet if the calcination be carried too far, their reduction will become much more difficult, and a much smaller quantity of Regulus will be resuscitated.

Regulus of Antimony is capable of dissolving the metals: but its affinities with them are various, and differ according to the following order. It affects Iron the most powerfully, next Copper, then Tin, Lead, and Silver. It promotes the fusion of metals, but makes them all brittle and unmalleable.

It will not amalgamate with Mercury; and though by certain processes, particularly the addition of water and continued trituration, a sort of union between these two substances may be produced, yet it is but apparent and momentary; for, being left to themselves and undisturbed, they quickly disunite and separate.

M. Malouin, however, hath found a way to unite these two metallic substances: but then he does it by the interposition of sulphur; that is, he combines crude Antimony with Mercury. This combination is brought about in the same way that Æthiops Mineral is made; viz. either by fusion, or by trituration only without fire. It resembles the common Æthiops, and M. Malouin calls it Æthiops of Antimony. He observed that Mercury unites with Antimony much more intimately, by melting, than by rubbing them together.

The vitriolic acid, assisted by heat, and even by distillation, dissolves Regulus of Antimony. The nitrous acid likewise attacks it: but the solution can by no art be made clear and limpid: so that the Regulus is only calcined, in a manner, by this acid.

The marine acid dissolves it well enough; but then it must be exceedingly concentrated, and applied in a peculiar manner, and especially by distillation. One of the best methods of procuring a perfect union between the acid of sea-salt and Regulus of Antimony, is to pulverize the latter, mix it with corrosive sublimate, and distil the whole. There rises in the operation a white matter, thick, and scarce fluid, which is no other than the Regulus of Antimony united and combined with the acid of sea-salt. This compound is extremely corrosive, and is called Butter of Antimony.

It is plain that the corrosive sublimate is here decompounded; that the Mercury is revivified, and that the acid which was combined therewith hath quitted it to join the Regulus of Antimony, with which its affinity is greater. This Butter of Antimony by repeated distillations acquires a considerable degree of fluidity and limpidness.

If the acid of nitre be mixed with Butter of Antimony, and the whole distilled, there rises an acid liquor, or a sort of aqua regis, which still retains some of the dissolved Regulus, and is called Bezoardic Spirit of Nitre. After the distillation there remains a white matter, from which fresh spirit of nitre is again abstracted, and which being then washed with water is called Bezoar Mineral. This Bezoar Mineral is neither so volatile nor so caustic as Butter of Antimony; because the nitrous acid hath not the property of volatilizing metallic substances, as the marine acid does, and because it remains much more intimately combined with the reguline part.

If Butter of Antimony be mixed with water, the liquor immediately becomes turbid and milky, and a precipitate falls, which is nothing but the metallic matter partly separated from its acid, which is too much weakened by the addition of water to keep it dissolved. Yet this precipitate still retains a good deal of acid; for which reason it continues to be a violent emetic, and in some degree corrosive. It hath therefore been very improperly called Mercurius Vitæ.

The proper solvent of Regulus of Antimony is aqua regis; by means whereof a clear and limpid solution of this Semi-metal may be obtained.

Regulus of Antimony mixed with nitre, and projected into a red-hot crucible, sets the nitre in a flame, and makes it detonate. As it produces this effect by means of its phlogiston, it must needs at the same time be calcined, and lose its metallic properties, which accordingly happens, and when the nitre is in a triple proportion to the Regulus, the latter is so perfectly calcined as to leave only a white powder, which is fused with great difficulty, and then turns to a faintly coloured glass, not very different from common glass, and which is not reducible to a Regulus by the addition of inflammable matter; at least it yields but a very small quantity thereof. If less nitre be used, the calx is not so white; the glass it produces is more like a metalline glass, and is more easily reduced. The calx of the Regulus thus prepared by nitre is called, on account of the medicinal virtue ascribed to it, Diaphoretic Antimony, or Diaphoretic Mineral.

Nitre always becomes an alkali by deflagration, and in the present case retains part of the calx, which it even renders soluble in water. This calx may be separated from the alkali, if an acid be employed to precipitate it; and then it is called Materia Perlata. This pearly matter is a calx of Antimony, so completely deprived of its phlogiston as to be altogether incapable of reduction to a Regulus.

Regulus of Antimony readily joins and unites with sulphur, forming therewith a compound which has a very faint metallic splendour. This compound appears like a mass of long needles adhering together laterally; and under this form it is usually found in the ore, or at least when only separated by fusion from the stones and earthy matters with which the ore is mixed. It is called Crude Antimony.

Antimony flows with a moderate heat, and becomes even more fluid than other metallic substances. The action of fire dissipates or consumes the sulphur it contains, and its phlogiston also, so as to convert it into a calx and a glass, as it does the Regulus.

Aqua regis, which we observed to be the proper solvent of the Regulus, being poured on Antimony, attacks and dissolves the reguline part, but touches not the sulphur; in consequence whereof it decomposes the Antimony, and separates its sulphur from its Regulus.

There are several other ways of effecting this decomposition, and obtaining the reguline part of Antimony by itself: they consist either in destroying the sulphureous part of the Antimony by combustion, or in melting the Antimony with some substance which has a greater affinity than its reguline part with sulphur. Most metals are very fit for this latter purpose: for though the Regulus has a considerable affinity with sulphur, yet all the metals, except Gold and Mercury, have a greater.

If therefore Iron, Copper, Lead, Silver, or Tin, be melted with Antimony, the metal employed will unite with the sulphur, and separate it from the Regulus.

It must be observed, that, as these metals have some affinity with the Regulus of Antimony, the Regulus will be joined in the operation by some of the metal employed as a Precipitant, (so those substances are called which serve as the means of separating two bodies from each other); and therefore the Regulus procured in this manner will not be absolutely pure: on this account care is taken to distinguish each by adding the name of the metal employed in its precipitation; and thence come these titles, Martial Regulus of Antimony, or only Martial Regulus, Regulus Veneris; and so of the rest.

Antimony is employed with advantage to separate Gold from all the other metals with which it may be alloyed. It has been shewn, that all the metals have a greater affinity than the reguline part of Antimony with sulphur, Gold only excepted; which is incapable of contracting any union therewith: and therefore, if a mass compounded of Gold and several other metals be melted with Antimony, every thing in that mass which is not Gold will unite with the sulphur of the Antimony. This union occasions two separations, to wit, that of the sulphur of the Antimony from its reguline part, and that of the Gold from the metals with which it was adulterated; and from the whole two new compounds arise; namely, a combination of the metals with the sulphur, which being lightest rises to the surface in fusion; and a metalline mass, formed of the Gold and the reguline part of the Antimony united together, which being much the heaviest sinks to the bottom. There is no difficulty in parting the Gold from the Regulus of Antimony with which it is alloyed: for the metalline mass needs only be exposed to a degree of fire capable of dissipating into vapours all the Semi-metal it contains; which being very volatile, the operation is much easier, and more expeditiously finished, than if the metals with which the Gold was debased were to be vitrified on the cupel; without taking into the account, that, if Silver were one of them, recourse must needs be had to the process of quartation after that of the cupel.

If equal parts of nitre and Antimony be mixed together, and the mixture exposed to the action of fire, a violent detonation ensues; the nitre deflagrating consumes the sulphur of the Antimony, and even a part of its phlogiston. After the detonation there remains a greyish matter which contains fixed nitre, vitriolated tartar, and the reguline part of the Antimony in some measure deprived of its phlogiston, and half vitrified by the action of the fire, which is considerably increased by the deflagration. This matter is called Liver of Antimony.

If, instead of equal parts of nitre and Antimony, two parts of the former be used to one of the latter, then the reguline part loses much more of its phlogiston, and remains in the form of a yellowish powder.

Again, if three parts of nitre be taken to one of Antimony, the Regulus is thereby entirely robbed of its phlogiston, and converted to a white calx, which bears the name of Diaphoretic Antimony, or Diaphoretic Mineral. The pearly matter may be precipitated by pouring an acid on the saline substances which here remain after the detonation, in the same manner as we shewed above was to be done with regard to the Regulus.

In the two last operations, where the nitre is in a double or triple proportion to the Antimony, the reguline part is found after the detonation to be converted into a calx, and not into a half-vitrified matter, which we have seen is the effect when equal parts only of nitre and Antimony are used. The reason of this difference is, that in these two cases the reguline part, being wholly, or almost wholly, deprived of its phlogiston, becomes, as was observed, more difficult to fuse, and consequently cannot begin to vitrify in the same degree of heat as that which hath not lost so much of its phlogiston. If, instead of performing the operation with equal parts of nitre and Antimony alone, a portion of some substance which abounds with phlogiston be added, in that case the sulphur only of the Antimony will be consumed, and the Regulus will remain united with its phlogiston and separated from its sulphur.

The Regulus prepared in this manner is absolutely pure, because no metalline substance being employed, none can mix with and adulterate it. It is called Regulus of Antimony per se, or only Regulus of Antimony.

It is true indeed that in this operation much of the reguline part unavoidably loses its phlogiston and is calcined, and consequently a much smaller quantity of Regulus is obtained than when metalline precipitants are employed: but this loss is easily repaired, if it be thought proper, by restoring to the calcined part its lost phlogiston.

Antimony melted with two parts of fixed alkali yields no Regulus, but is entirely dissolved by the salt, and forms with it a mass of a reddish yellow colour.

The reason why no precipitate is produced on this occasion is, that the alkali uniting with the sulphur of the Antimony forms therewith the combination called Liver of Sulphur, which by its nature is qualified to keep the reguline part dissolved. This mass formed by the union of the Antimony with the alkali is soluble in water. If any acid whatever be dropt into this solution, there falls a precipitate of a reddish yellow colour; because the acid unites with the alkali, and forces it to quit the matters with which it was combined. This precipitate is called Golden Sulphur of Antimony.

As in the operation for preparing Regulus of Antimony per se, some of the nitre is, by the inflammable matters added thereto, turned to an alkali, this alkali seizes on part of the Antimony, and therewith forms a compound like that just described. Hence it comes, that if the scoria formed in this process be dissolved in water, and an acid dropped into the solution, a true golden sulphur of Antimony is thereby separated.

This union of Antimony with an alkali may also be brought about by the humid way; that is, by making use of an alkali resolved into a liquor, and boiling the mineral in it. The alkaline liquor, in proportion as it acts upon the Antimony, gradually becomes reddish and turbid. If left to settle and cool when well saturated therewith, it gradually deposites the Antimony it had taken up, which precipitates in the form of a red powder; and this precipitate is the celebrated remedy known by the name of Kermes Mineral. It is plain that the kermes is nearly the same thing with the golden sulphur: yet it differs from it in some respects; and especially in this, that being taken inwardly it operates much more gently than the golden sulphur, which is a violent emetic. Nitre fixed by charcoal, and resolved into a liquor, is the only alkali employed in preparing the kermes.

It was shewn above, that Regulus of Antimony mixed and distilled with corrosive sublimate decompounds it, disengages the Mercury, and joining itself to the marine acid forms therewith a new combination, called Butter of Antimony. If the same operation be performed with crude Antimony instead of its Regulus, the same effects are produced: but then the Antimony itself is also decomposed; that is, the reguline part is separated from the sulphur, which being set free unites with the Mercury, now also at liberty, and these two together form a true cinabar, called Cinabar of Antimony.