Part 15

Annotation upon the one and twentieth Experiment.

But lest you should be tempted to think (Pyrophilus) that Volatile or Alcalizate Salts change Blews into Green, rather upon the score of the easie Transition of the former Colour into the latter, than upon the account of the Texture, wherein most Vegetables, that afford a Blew, seem, though otherwise differing, to be Allied, I will add, that when I purposely dissolv'd Blew Vitriol in fair Water, and thereby imbu'd sufficiently that Liquor with that Colour, a Lixiviate Liquor, and a Urinous Salt being Copiously pour'd upon distinct Parcels of it, did each of them, though perhaps with some Difference, turn the Liquor not Green, but of a deep Yellowish Colour, almost like that of Yellow Oker, which Colour the Precipitated Corpuscles retain'd, when they had Leisurely subsided to the Bottom. What this Precipitated Substance is, it is not needfull now to Enquire in this place, and in another, I have shown you, that notwithstanding its Colour, and its being Obtainable from an Acid Menstruum by the help of Salt of Tartar, it is yet far enough from being the true Sulphur of Vitriol.

EXPERIMENT XXII.

Our next Experiment (Pyrophilus) will perhaps seem to be of a contrary Nature to the two former, made upon Syrrup of Violets, and Juice of Blew-bottles. For as in them by the Affusion of Oyl of Tartar, a Blewish Liquor is made Green, so in this, by the sole Mixture of the same Oyl, a Greenish Liquor becomes Blew. The hint of this Experiment was given us by the practice of some Italian Painters, who being wont to Counterfeit Ultra-marine Azure (as they call it) by Grinding Verdigrease with Sal-Armoniack, and some other Saline Ingredients, and letting them Rot (as they imagine) for a good while together in a Dunghill, we suppos'd, that the change of Colour wrought in the Verdigrease by this way of Preparation, must proceed from the Action of certain Volatile and Alcalizate Salts, abounding in some of the mingled Concretes, and brought to make a further Dissolution of the Copper abounding in the Verdigrease, and therefore we Conjectur'd, that if both the Verdigrease, and such Salts were dissolv'd in fair Water, the small Parts of both being therein more subdivided, and set at liberty, would have better access to each other, and thereby Incorporate much the more suddenly; And accordingly we found, that if upon a strong Solution of good French Verdigrease (for 'tis that we are wont to imploy, as the best) you pour a just quantity of Oyl of Tartar, and shake them well together, you shall immediately see a notable Change of Colour, and the Mixture will grow thick, and not transparent, but if you stay a while, till the Grosser part be Precipitated to, and setled in the Bottom, you may obtain a clear Liquor of a very lovely Colour, and exceeding delightfull to the Eye. But, you must have a care to drop in a competent Quantity of Oyl of Tartar, for else the Colour will not be so Deep, and Rich; and if instead of this Oyl you imploy a clear Lixivium of Pot-ashes, you may have an Azure somewhat Lighter or Paler than, and therefore differing from, the former. And if instead of either of these Liquors, you make use of Spirit of Urine, or of Harts-horn, you may according to the Quantity and Quality of the Spirit you pour in, obtain some further Variety (though scarce considerable) of Cæruleous Liquors. And yet lately by the help of this Urinous Spirit we made a Blew Liquor, which not a few Ingenious Persons, and among them, some, whose Profession makes them very Conversant with Colours, have looked upon with some wonder. But these Azure Colour'd Liquors should be freed from the Subsiding matter, which the Salts of Tartar or Urine precipitate out of them, rather by being Decanted, than by Filtration. For by the latter of these ways we have sometimes found, the Colour of them very much Impair'd, and little Superiour to that of the grosser Substance, that it left in the Filtre.

EXPERIMENT XXIII.

That Roses held over the Fume of Sulphur, may quickly by it be depriv'd of their Colour, and have as much of their Leaves, as the Fume works upon, burn'd pale, is an Experiment, that divers others have tried, as well as I. But (Pyrophilus) it may seem somewhat strange to one that has never consider'd the Compounded nature of Brimstone, That, whereas the Fume of Sulphur will, as we have said, Whiten the Leaves of Roses; That Liquor, which is commonly call'd Oyl of Sulphur per Campanam, because it is suppos'd to be made by the Condensation of these Fumes in Glasses shap't like Bells, into a Liquor, does powerfully heighten the Tincture of Red Roses, and make it more Red and Vivid, as we have easily tried by putting some Red-Rose Leaves, that had been long dried, (and so had lost much of their Colour) into a Vial of fair Water. For a while after the Affusion of a convenient Quantity of the Liquor we are speaking of, both the Leaves themselves, and the Water they were Steep'd in, discover'd a very fresh and lovely Colour.

EXPERIMENT XXIV.

It may (Pyrophilus) somewhat serve to Illustrate, not only the Doctrine of Pigments, and of Colours, but divers other Parts of the Corpuscular Philosophy; as that explicates Odours, and many other things, not as the Schools by Aery Qualities, but by Real, though extremely Minute Bodies; to examine, how much of a Colourless Liquor, a very small Parcel of a Pigment may Imbue with a discernable Colour. And though there be scarce any thing of Preciseness to be expected from such Trials, yet I presum'd, that (at least) I should be able to show a much further Subdivision of the Parts of Matter into Visible Particles, than I have hitherto found taken notice of, and than most men would imagine; no Body, that I know of, having yet attempted to reduce this Matter to any Measure.

The Bodies, the most promising for such a purpose, might seem to be the Metalls, especially Gold, because of the Multitude, and Minuteness of its Parts, which might be argu'd from the incomparable Closeness of its Texture: But though we tried a Solution of Gold made in Aqua Regia first, and then in fair Water; yet in regard we were to determine the Pigment we imploy'd, not by Bulk but Weight, and because also, that the Yellow Colour of Gold is but a faint one in Comparison of the deep Colour of Cochineel, we rather chose this to make our Trials with. But among divers of these it will suffice to set down one, which was carefully made in Vessels conveniently Shap'd; (and that in the presence of a Witness, and an Assistant) the Sum whereof I find among my Adversaria, Registred in the following Words. To which I shall only premise, (to lessen the wonder of so strange a diffusion of the Pigment) That Cochineel will be better Dissolv'd, and have its Colour far more heightn'd by Spirit of Urine, than (I say not by common Water, but) by Rectify'd Spirit of Wine it self.

The Note I spoke off is this. [One Grain of Cochineel dissolv'd in a pretty Quantity of Spirit of Urine, and then dissolv'd further by degrees in fair Water, imparted a discernable, though but a very faint Colour, to about six Glass-fulls of Water, each of them containing about forty three Ounces and an half, which amounts to above a hundred twenty five thousand times its own Weight.]

EXPERIMENT XXV.

It may afford a considerable Hint (Pyrophilus) to him, that would improve the Art of Dying, to know what change of Colours may be produc'd by the three several sorts of Salts already often mention'd, (some or other of which may be procur'd in Quantity at reasonable Rates) in the Juices, Decoctions, Infusions, and (in a word) the more soluble parts of Vegetables. And, though the design of this Discourse be the Improvement of Knowledge, not of Trades: yet thus much I shall not scruple to intimate here, That the Blew Liquors, mention'd in the twentieth and one and twentieth Experiments, are far from being the only Vegetable Substances, upon which Acid, Urinous, and Alcalizate Salts have the like Operations to those recited in those two Experiments. For Ripe Privet Berries (for instance) being crush'd upon White Paper, though they stain it with a Purplish Colour, yet if we let fall on some part of it two or three drops of Spirit of Salt, and on the other part a little more of the Strong Solution of Pot-ashes, the former Liquor immediately turn'd that part of the Thick juice or Pulp, on which it fell, into a lovely Red, and the latter turn'd the other part of it into a delightfull Green. Though I will not undertake, that those Colours in that Substance shall not be much more Orient, than Lasting; and though (Pyrophilus) this Experiment may seem to be almost the same with those already deliver'd concerning Syrrup of Violets, and the Juice of Blew-bottles, yet I think it not amiss to take this Occasion to inform you, that this Experiment reaches much farther, than perhaps you yet imagine, and may be of good Use to those, whom it concerns to know, how Dying Stuffs may be wrought upon by Saline Liquors. For, I have found this Experiment to succeed in so many Various Berries, Flowers, Blossoms, and other finer Parts of Vegetables, that neither my Memory, nor my Leisure serves me to enumerate them. And it is somewhat surprizing to see, by how Differingly-colour'd Flowers, or Blossoms, (for example) the Paper being stain'd, will by an Acid Spirit be immediately turn'd Red, and by any Alcaly or any Urinous Spirit turn'd Green; insomuch that ev'n the crush'd Blossoms of Meserion, (which I gather'd in Winter and frosty Weather) and those of Pease, crush'd upon White Paper, how remote soever their Colours be from Green, would in a moment pass into a deep Degree of that Colour, upon the Touch of an Alcalizate Liquor. To which let us add, That either of those new Pigments (if I may so call them) may by the Affusion of enough of a contrary Liquor, be presently chang'd from Red into Green, and from Green into Red, which Observation will hold also in Syrrup of Violets, Juices of Blew-bottles, &c.

Annotation.

After what I have formerly deliver'd to evince, That there are many Instances, wherein new Colours are produc'd or acquir'd by Bodies, which Chymists are wont to think destitute of Salt, or to whose change of Colours no new Accession of Saline Particles does appear to contribute, I think we may safely enough acknowledge, that we have taken notice of so many Changes made by the Intervention of Salts in the Colours of Mix'd Bodies, that it has lessen'd our Wonder, That though many Chymists are wont to ascribe the Colours of Such Bodies to their Sulphureous, and the rest to their Mercurial Principle; yet Paracelsus himself directs us in the Indagation of Colours, to have an Eye principally upon Salts, as we find in that passage of his, wherein he takes upon him to Oblige his Readers much by Instructing them, of what things they are to expect the Knowledge from each of the three distinct Principles of Bodies. Alias (says he) Colorum similis ratio est: De quibus brevem institutionem hanc attendite, quod scilicet colores omnes ex Sale prodeant. Sal enim dat colorem, dat Balsamum. And a little beneath. Iam natura Ipsa colores protrathit ex sale, cuique speciei dans illum, qui ipsi competit, &c. After which he concludes; Itaque qui rerum omnium corpora cognoscere vult, huic opus est, ut ante omnia cognoscat Sulphur, Ab hoc, qui desiderat novisse Colores is scientiam istorum petat à Sale, Qui scire vult Virtutes, is scrutetur arcana Mercurii. Sic nimirum fundamentum hauserit Mysteriorum, in quolibet crescenti indagandorum, prout natura cuilibet speciei ea ingessit. But though Paracelsus ascribes to each of his belov'd Hypostatical Principles, much more than I fear will be found to belong to it; yet if we please to consider Colours, not as Philosophers, but as Dyers, the concurrence of Salts to the striking and change of Colours, and their Efficacy, will, I suppose, appear so considerable, that we shall not need to quarrel much with Paracelsus, for ascribing in this place (for I dare not affirm that he uses to be still of one Mind) the Colours of Bodies to their Salts, if by Salts he here understood, not only Elementary Salts, but such also as are commonly taken for Salts, as Allom, Crystals of Tartar, Vitriol, &c. because the Saline principle does chiefly abound in them, though indeed they be, as we elsewhere declare, mix'd Bodies, and have most of them, besides what is Saline, both Sulphureous, Aqueous, and Gross or Earthy parts.

Paracelsus de Mineral. tract. 1. pag. m. 243

But though (Pyrophilus) I have observ'd a Red and Green to be produc'd, the former, by Acid Salts, the later by Salts not Acid, in the express Juices of so many differing Vegetable Substances, that the Observation, if persued, may prove (as I said) of good Use: yet to show you how much e'vn these Effects depend upon the particular Texture of Bodies, I must subjoyn some cases wherein I (who am somewhat backwards to admit Observations for Universal) had the Curiosity to discover, that the Experiments would not Uniformly succeed, and of these Exceptions, the chief that I now remember, are reducible to the following three.

EXPERIMENT XXVI.

And, (first) I thought fit to try the Operation of Acid Salts upon Vegetable Substances, that are already and by their own Nature Red. And accordingly I made Trial upon Syrrup of Clove-july-flowers, the clear express'd Juice of the succulent Berries of Spina Cervina, or Buckthorn (which I had long kept by me for the sake of its deep Colour) upon Red Roses, Infusion of Brazil, and divers other Vegetable Substances, on some of which crush'd (as is often mention'd) upon White Paper, (which is also to be understood in most of these Experiments, if no Circumstance of them argue otherwise) Spirit of Salt either made no considerable Change, or alter'd the Colour but from a Darker to a Lighter Red. How it will succeed in many other Vegetable Juices, and Infusions of the same Colour, I have at present so few at hand, that I must leave you to find it out your self. But as for the Operation of the other sorts of Salts upon these Red Substances, I found it not very Uniform, some Red, or Reddish Infusions, as of Roses, being turn'd thereby into a dirty Colour, but yet inclining to Green. Nor was the Syrrup of Clove-july-flowers turn'd by the solution of Pot-ashes to a much better, though somewhat a Greener, Colour. Another sort of Red Infusions was by an Alcaly not turn'd into a Green, but advanc'd into a Crimson, as I shall have occasion to note ere long. But there were other sorts, as particularly the lovely Colour'd juice of Buckthorn Berries, that readily pass'd into a lovely Green.

EXPERIMENT XXVII.

Among other Vegetables, which we thought likely to afford Exceptions to the General Observation about the differing Changes of Colours produc'd by Acid and Sulphureous Salts, we thought fit to make Trial upon the Flowers of Jasmin, they being both White as to Colour, and esteem'd to be of a more Oyly nature than other Flowers. Whereupon having taken the White parts only of the Flowers, and rubb'd them somewhat hard with my Finger upon a piece of clean Paper, it appear'd very little Discolour'd. Nor had Spirit of Salt, wherewith I moisten'd one part of it, any considerable Operation upon it. But Spirit of Urine, and somewhat more effectually a strong Alcalizate Solution, did immediately turn the almost Colourless Paper moisten'd by the Juice of the Jasmin, not as those Liquors are wont to do, when put upon the Juices of other Flowers, of a good Green, but of a Deep, though somewhat Greenish Yellow, which Experiment I did afterwards at several times repeat with the like success. But it seems not that a great degree of Unctuousness is necessary to the Production of the like Effects, for when we try'd the Experiment with the Leaves of those purely White Flowers that appear about the end of Winter, and are commonly call'd Snow drops, the event, was not much unlike that, which, we have been newly mentioning.

EXPERIMENT XXVIII.

Another sort of Instances to show, how much changes of Colour effected by Salts, depend upon the particular Texture of the Colour'd Bodies, has been afforded me by several Yellow Flowers, and other Vegetables, as Mary-gold Leaves, early Prim-roses, fresh Madder, &c. For being rubb'd upon White Paper, till they imbued it with their Colour, I found not, that by the addition of Alcalizate Liquors, nor yet by that of an Urinous Spirit, they would be turn'd either Green or Red: nor did so Acid a Spirit, as that of Salt, considerably alter their Colour, save that it seem'd a little to Dilute it. Only in some early Prim-roses it destroy'd the greatest part of the Colour, and made the Paper almost White agen. And Madder also afforded some thing peculiar, and very differing from what we have newly mention'd: For having gather'd Some Roots of it, and, (whilst they were recent) express'd upon White Paper the Yellow Juice, an Alcalizate Solution drop'd upon it did not turn it either Green or White, but Red. And the bruis'd Madder it self being drench'd with the like Alcalizate Solution, exchang'd also its Yellowishness for a Redness.

An admonition touching the four preceding Experiments.

Having thus (Pyrophilus) given you divers Instances, to countenance the General observation deliver'd in the twenty fifth Experiment, and divers Exceptions whereby it ought to be Limited; I must leave the further Inquiry into these Matters to your own Industry. For not remembring at present many of those other Trials, long since made to satisfie my self about Particulars, and not having now the Opportunity to repeat them, I must content my Self to have given you the Hint, and the ways of prosecuting the search your Self; and only declare to you in general, that, As I have made many Trials, unmention'd in this Treatise, whose Events were agreeable to those mention'd in the twenty fifth Experiment, so (to name now no other Instances) what I have try'd with Acid and Sulphureous Salts upon the Pulp of Juniper Berries, rubb'd upon White Paper, inclines me to think, That among that vast Multitude, and strange Variety of Plants that adorn the face of the Earth, perhaps many other Vegetables may be found, on which such Menstruums may not have such Operations, as upon the Juice of Violets, Pease-blossoms, &c. no nor upon any of those three other sorts of Vegetables, that I have taken notice of in the three fore-going Experiments. It sufficiently appearing ev'n by these, that the effects of a Salt upon the Juices of particular Vegetables do very much depend upon their particular Textures.

EXPERIMENT XXIX.

It may be of some Use towards the discovery of the nature of these Changes, which the Alimental Juice receives in some Vegetables, according to the differing degrees of their Maturity, and according to the differing kinds of Plants of the same Denomination, to observe what Operation Acid, Urinous, and Alcalizate Salts will have upon the Juices of the several sorts of the Vegetable substances I have been mentioning.

To declare my meaning by an Example, I took from the same Cluster, one Blackberry full Ripe, and another that had not yet gone beyond a Redness, and rubbing apiece of white Paper, with the former, I observ'd, that the Juice adhering to it was of adark Reddish Colour, full of little Black Specks; and that this Juice by a drop of a strong Lixivium, was immediately turn'd into a Greenish Colour deep enough, by as much Urinous Spirit into a Colour much of Kin to the former, though somewhat differing, and fainter; and by a drop of Spirit of Salt into a fine and lightsome Red: where as the Red Berry being in like manner rubb'd upon Paper, left on it a Red Colour, which was very little alter'd by the Acid Spirit newly nam'd, and by the Urinous and Lixiviate Salts receiv'd changes of Colour differing from those that had been just before produc'd in the dark Juice of the Ripe Blackberry.

I remember also, that though the Infusion of Damask-Roses would as well, though not so much, as that of Red, be heightned by Acid Spirits to an intense degree of Redness, and by Lixiviate Salts be brought to a Darkish Green; yet having for Trials sake taken a Rose, whose Leaves, which were large and numerous, like those of a Province Rose, were perfectly Yellow, though in a Solution of Salt of Tartar, they afforded a Green Blewish Tincture, yet I did not by an Acid Liquor obtain a Red one; all that the Saline Spirit I imploy'd, perform'd, being (if I much misremember not) to Dilute Somewhat the Yellowness of the Leaves. I would also have tried the Tincture of Yellow Violets, but could procure none. And if I were in those Islands of Banda, which are made Famous as well as Rich, by being the almost only places, where Cloves will prosper, I should think it worth my Curiosity to try, what Operation the three differing Kinds of Salts, I have so often mention'd, would have upon the Juice of this Spice, (express'd at the several Seasons of it) as it grows upon the Tree. Since good Authors inform us, (of what is remarkable) that these whether Fruits, or Rudiments of Fruits, are at first White, afterward Green, and then Reddish, before they be beaten off the Tree, after which being Dry'd before they are put up, they grow Blackish as we see them. And one of the recentest Herbarists informs us, that the Flower grows upon the top of the Clove it self, consisting of four small Leaves, like a Cherry Blossom, but of an excellent Blew. But (Pyrophilus) to return to our own Observations, I shall add, that I the rather choose, to mention to you an Example drawn from Roses, because that though I am apt to think, as I elsewhere advertise, that something may be guess'd at about some of the Qualities of the Juices of Vegetables, by the Resemblance or Disparity that we meet with in the Changes made of their Colours, by the Operation of the same kinds of Salts; yet that those Conjectures should be very warily made, may appear among other things, by the Instance I have chosen to give in Roses. For though, (as I formerly told you) the Dry'd Leaves, both of the Damask, and of Red ones, give a Red Tincture to Water sharpen'd with Acid Salts, yet the one sort of Leaves is known to have a Purgative faculty, and the other are often, and divers ways, imploy'd for Binding.