Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 004.djvu/168

 6. Whether two Vessels, diversified in their matter, and consequently in their parts, pores and figures of the whole (as e. g. a Glass-bottle and an Oxe-bladder, or any two such like) fill'd with such waters, will not-yeild the like Phænomena in all circumstances, as in the 5th, Query are mentioned?

7. Whether it may be devised, how to prevent all precipitation of a sediment in the Waters vesseled up; and then to observe thereupon, whither their vertues would riot be kept entire during. such a prevention?

8. Whether any Observer ever found the Waters enervated but found withall an Ochre, let fall to the bottom or sides of the containing Vessel?

9. To be brief, Whether the Phænomenon of loss of vertues in such Waters may by an Hypothesis of an intestine Precipitation of their parts, wherein those vertues consisted, be as well (if not better) explicated, than by the Hypothesis of an Avolation of Spirituous parts through all Vessels and closures whatsoever?

Which Hypothesis that it may be the better weighed, I shall only exhibit it, and leave it to the ingenious and Learned to conclude concerning it.

First therefore it is generally received amongst most, especially the more polite, Chymical Anchors and Students, That, if any Medical vertues be in Minerals or Metals, it consists in their Sulphurs; which are of a Volatile and Alcalisate property; especially when not intimately conmmix'tcommix't [sic] with, or after commixtion perfectly freed from their Mercurial parts.

Next, its as much received, even to become a Cymical Maxime, That Acids and Alcaly's mutually operate upon one another to a satiety, to an abating, and (if circumstances correspond) to an utter amission or their former activities, and lastly to a production of a Tertium neutrum.

Again they alike conclude, that Salts act best in a State of Solution. All which Premises thus concenter in this Hypothesis;

That the Waters, which materially make some Springs, passing underground by the veine of some Mettal, which yet is in fieri, having first taken up of an Acide Salt which is in the Earth, thereby catcheth hold on the immature Sulphur of that