&Tic;Hat Nitre is contained in the Body of the Waters is evident from this, that it may, by art, be extracted thence; and I may as well sus&rehy;pect, and, if I please, believe, that I had not mo&rehy;ny in my pocket, when I took out some silver for a necessary use; as when I see Nitre taken out of the Bath, say it was never there.

But the difficulty will be to prove the thing; now, I say, a Sceptick may doubt whether a Man be a Man, a Brute a Brute, or whether he makes use of his voice that asks the Question; but whe&rehy;ther he be not the wiser man that takes these for granted, and not pragmatically contradicts the u&rehy;nanimous consent of Judicious Writers, is easie to determine.

I confess it burns not as Common Salt-Peter doth, because it leaves a Calx behind it; but in that more resembles the Nitre of the Ancients, a pound of which being burnt will leave four ounces of Ashes: Salt-Peter will leave none. Jord. Nat. Bath. & Min. Wat. chap.7. p. 53.

Neither doth it huff, nor melt altogether in a small quantity as Salt-Peter doth, on the account of an allay it receives from the mixture of ano&rehy;ther Salt of an Alkalisate taste with some bitter&rehy;ness withal, which remains on the Iron-plate after accension, and is little more than a fourth part of the Body; wherefore to deny the being of Nitre in the Salt, because 'tis not all so, is as absurd, to make a Linsey-woolsey Comparison, as to affirm, there is no Woollen in that sort of Vesture where Linnen is; or to say, That a man that is both Lawyer and Physician, hath nothing of Physick, because he hath something of Law.

But that Nitre is there, though not predominant, seems clear by the shooting in stiria's, which is concluded to be the proper form of that Salt; and although Tartar, and perhaps some other Salts, may somewhat resemble it; yet the diffe&rehy;rence is easily perceptible by the sight, but more by the taste.

And now I am discoursing of this matter, I conceive the Author did not hit the mark, because he did not make the Bath-water shoot, in that he only mentions, the Salts that remain after evapora&rehy;tion, which, he says, put on a Coal, burn not as Nitre doth. But the shootings so called, in a fi&rehy;gure somewhat pyramidal, with many Columellæ, or small pillars closely united, put on a red-hot Iron&rehy;plate, and so burnt, may alter the case, which I affirm to do, as I mention'd before.

And, what is not a little considerable, on the burning of six ounces of the Chrystals, in order to the Examination of the remaining Calx, the Nitrous parts of the shoots, being many in number, in a short time melted, and ran down both sides of the Iron-plate in a stream, consonant to Pliny's observation of Nitre, which he affirms ingentibus ri&rehy;vulis profluxisse. (Q)

To which I may add the bitter Taste apparent&rehy;ly discoverable in the Salt, insomuch as to bring it within the verge of a suspicious appearance of a Sal amarum (if any such Salt there be distinct from Nitre) which bitterness hath been accounted pro&rehy;per to Nitre, and the waters impregnated there&rehy;with, of which the Laborious Ballius gives this Testimony; De Therm. l. 5. c. 5. Differunt etiam Nitrosæ Aquæ à Salsis, quòd amarorem Nitrosæ sapiunt potius quam Salsu&rehy;ginem, & quo magis syncerum habent Nitrum eo sunt amariores. So that the bitter Calx mention&rehy;ed before, seems, if any, to be the true Calx of Ni&rehy;tre, and no small argument of its sincerity, although this taste be not perceptible in the water, in regard the Nitre is much diluted, and though sufficient for the purpose, not in so great a proportion there.

Also for a further satisfaction, if any Aluminous parts were contained in the Chrystal shoots, I ob&rehy;serv'd, That the six ounces mentioned before, after they had hufft, melted and ran upon the Iron-plate, were in little more than one minute reduced to somewhat less than two ounces of a dead white Calx; which being again dissolved, filtred and e&rehy;vaporated, gave me a plain Alkali with some re&rehy;maining bitterness, which on the affusion of any acid would ferment, and being put to undergo the fire-ordeal Trial, would neither melt nor boyl, but crackle and leap.

To make a further Trial, whether what was bitter and suspiciously Nitrous might be separated from the Alkali; I dissolved and filtred the same Salt again, and evaporating it ad Cuticulam, it shot partly into a white hoary down, penetrating cooling, and bitter, distinct from the Alkali with which before it was mixt, and partly into an in&rehy;spissated juyce, which I judge to be the succus primitivus of Nitre, with the same qualities; both which put on the Plate did huff and melt as the former, leaving a small bitter Calx behind it, which, I believe, by frequent dissolutions, evaporations, and coagulations, would huff and melt all off, to the utter consumption of its whole body that way, I mean as far as Nitrous, the Alkali shewing it self proportionable in the Calx, after every trial.

And here I would not be mistaken, as if I pre&rehy;tended to that grand Arcanum, the discovery of the Nitre of the Ancients, for I am well assured, that the description of that is very much different from what I am now discoursing of, being acknowledged by Pliny, Dioscorides, and others, to be of a rosie colour, and almost purple, which they used some&rehy;times to dye that colour with (though some white there was also) and came nearer to the nature of or&rehy;dinary Salt, whereupon Dioscorides in his 85th. Chapter hath these words, Nitre, and the froth of Nitre (or Aphronitrum) have the same virtues as Salt, and are burn't like that; yet because some measures may be taken from that, for the better un&rehy;derstanding of what is now under the test, I thought fit in that regard at present, only to make this bare mention of it.

Neither can the contrary, I think, be evinced from the effects; for cooling, penetrating, and purg&rehy;ing, are attributed to Nitre, and confessedly in the waters, the two former evident in allaying thirst, abating inflammations, and quickness of passage: the latter, as plain in its operation, for Nitre as well as Salt, is said both alvum laxare, and urinas ciere, and Baccius treating of nitrous waters, af&rehy;firms, that they do vacuare, virtute Nitri, per al&rehy;vum, & per urinas. The like may be said of the external effects by Bathing, which can no way pre&rehy;judice the being of Nitre there.

Besides, This way of arguing from the effects is but à posteriori, and less significant where there is matter of fact, which may be useful in the dark; but if it thwart with a plain experiment, must yield; for, Quid verba audiam, cum videam facta? And whoever shall undertake a business of this nature may consider, that the best judgment to be made of the effects, is from a constant observation of particu&rehy;lars on the place, which cannot be conceived to be so well done at a distance, but must require, besides some time, a good attendance, as well as practice here. But to return.

These Stiriæ, or Needles, I observed in the wa&rehy;ter of all the Baths, yet in a different shape and consistence; for the King's Bath-water after a full imbibition of the Salt dissolved, and a strong Lixi&rehy;vium thence procured, evaporated ad Cuticulam, and set in a cool place, shot from the inside of the evaporating Glass into its Cavity, into strong, and compacted Needles, with that strength, that it took some of the Common Salt with it, which ap&rehy;peared in the Nitrous shoots, something like the stars in a clear sky, but white, and in a Cubical form, in perfect squares, or Tessera's distinct from the body of the Nitrous shoots, with which the Nitre was studded, being impacted into it.

The Cross Bath shot in smaller Needles, but long&rehy;er and very thin, in great number, directly from the bottom of the glass, very close together, but distinct each from other, much like the Finnow, or hairy excrescence, that oftentimes ariseth from cor&rehy;rupted matter, which on the least violence offer'd would break, and not endure any kind of resist&rehy;ance.

The Hot Bath gave me more trouble to bring it to shoot, insomuch as being frustrated in two or three Experiments, I had almost concluded there was nothing Nitrous there, but the thing after&rehy;wards succeeding, I had on a small quantity of the Salt dissolved, and the Lixivium evaporated ac&rehy;cording to Art, five, or six single Stiria's, bigger, and stronger, though not so long, as those I observ&rehy;ed in the water of the Cross Bath, which gave me satisfaction as to that Bath also, in the particular thing of Nitre now under debate. Since which time on another Experiment, I had as firm and com&rehy;pacted Needles from the Hot Bath, as I had formerly from the King's, both which Baths shoot much alike, and different from the Cross.

I shall not lay any great stress on these observati&rehy;ons, in relation to the difference between the three Baths mentioned before, in regard it must be a bu&rehy;siness of greater experience, and more exact obser&rehy;vation of many Circumstances, to state that affair as it ought to be, and is, in good part done in the Miscellaneous Observations hereunto annex'd; only this use I may safely make of them, to confirm what I had before asserted, That there is Nitre dis&rehy;solved in the Water of all the Baths of Bathe. And if this be not the thing that hath hitherto been de&rehy;scribed under that name, by the most approved Writers, I presume we may afterwards take it for a Chimerical notion, that hath no foundation in any work of Nature, but owes its subsistence to a phantastical brain.

To this may be further added; That the Liqua&rehy;men, or oleum per deliquium, being closely stopt, and but heated by the fire, presently, as soon as cold, concretes into a Nitrous form; so that we need not call in the secret, and invisible assistance of the external air, to make a Metamorphosis almost as strange as those mentioned by the Poet, when we have clear, and unalterable principles of Nature, and innate propensities, and disposition in matter it self, with a divine impression, that will serve the turn.

&Aic;S to Sulphur, the next thing to be insisted on, as contained in the Waters, I conceive that many that have endeavoured to avoid Charybdis, have fallen into Scylla, and because the ancient Au&rehy;thors have asserted that Sulphur was undoubtedly concern'd in all Baths, they will affirm there is none in any; but whoever builds a fabrick on this foundation, and certainly concludes, that Sulphur is not in the Bath-waters, because it cannot be disco&rehy;ver'd by precipitation, I would have forbear a posi&rehy;tive determination on a negative experiment, till I see Vitriol precipitated in substance from the King's Bath-water, which is acknowledg'd to be there. And if I cannot light on an apt precipitater, which every way opposeth the particles to be so discover'd, and have some other reasons to incline me to the contrary, I should not be so fond of my own conceit, as to be prevail'd upon by a comparative in&rehy;stance of unflak't Lime, to wipe my own Nose, and put out my Eyes, which as far as they can, assure me to the contrary.

I shall refer the Reader to what is mention'd be&rehy;fore concerning the Colour and Smell, in calcining the Contents of the Bath-water in general, and till I shall meet with something that will both burn blew, and give a fetid smell, that is not Sulphur, I shall so esteem that, till ascertain'd of the con&rehy;trary.

I may further add, That the Sulphur is proba&rehy;bly incorporated with the Salt, as appears by its passing with it into the Lixivium, and through pa&rehy;pers in filtration, and not discoverable but by a strong fire, by which the body of the Salt is open'd, and a solution of the Continuum made, in order to fusion; so that if you do not precipitate both, you can precipitate neither, unless a separation of the Sulphur from the Salt be made, which, I presume, is not easie to be done, without the help of fire, by which the Sulphur is consum'd: so that the com&rehy;parative instance of unflak't Lime is little to the pur&rehy;pose; where the Sulphur is separated, decocted, and precipitated; here not so, being not apart, but residing in a Salino-Sulphureous Salt, a piece of whose Body, as we now have it, it seems to be.

Moreover, Whereas he collects from the Bath&rehy;waters not tinging Silver yellow, but rather black, that there is no Sulphur contained in the same; I may retort, and that very justly, this as an argu&rehy;ment to assert it. For the proper colour that Sul&rehy;phur dissolved gives to Silver is not so much yellow as black, as may be easily discerned by putting any piece of Silver, but a very little while, into the decoction of Sulphur made in the water of unflak't Lime, which gives as near the colour of the Silver I have caused to lye some time near the Springs of the Bath, as may be, so that the difference is not discernable; not to mention that some yellowness is observed on the Silver tinged by the Bath.

Neither am I fully satisfied that the only, or in&rehy;deed the best, precipitator of Sulphur is an acid; for on the decoction of that Mineral in the water of quick Lime (the Lixivium, though with much Sulphur, not succeeding) and very sudden change, on the affusion of Spirit of Vitriol, into a milky, and much whiter Consistence, the Liquor after&rehy;wards settled, and precipitated not as Sulphur, but Lime-stone; so that the Sulphur, although it gave a greater fetid smell, yet was not so apparently pre&rehy;cipitated, as by Oyl of Tartar in another glass, which gave the Sulphur in proper colour precipita&rehy;ted, without a permanent lacteous opacity. Where&rehy;upon I made this observation, as to the present ex&rehy;periment, That although acids do not precipitate of this lapideous matter alone, yet if in the embraces a strong sulphurous commixture, they will, and the Lime-stone is most properly precipitated by an acid, if Sulphur be decocted with it; whereas the Body of Sulphur, decocted as before, is best precipitated by a fixt Salt, the Sulphur appearing without white&rehy;ness, in its own garb, though not so fetid as on the affusion of an acid.

It may be also noted that S. Closseus, in his pre&rehy;paration of Lac Sulphuris, in which the body of Sulphur is open'd with Calx Vive, directs the Sul&rehy;phur to be precipitated with Urine.

The occasion of this mistake (seeing he pretends to give the reason of another, concerning an expe&rehy;riment of a like nature) I conceive to be, That the white matter precipitated on the affusion of any acid, was, without much examination, reputed wholly sulphurous, as appears from these words; For if Sulphur be boyled in the water of unflak't Lime, the water becomes white, not by the affusion of a fixt Salt, as before, but of an acid: so that fixt Salts may dissolve Sulphur but not precipitate it. Where&rehy;as the whiteness ariseth much from the mixture of the Lime-stone, as appears by the open confession of what is precipitated, if standing some time, fil&rehy;ter'd, and brought to the test by fire, where the Lime-stone is discover'd, the Sulphur being rather disturb'd than precipitated by the acid liquor, which makes it give a greater fetor, but never kindly pre&rehy;cipitates; the other precipitation with oyl of Tar&rehy;tar, which here, contrary to its wonted course, joyns with the Lime-stone, which it usually preci&rehy;pitates, and opposeth the Sulphur, is very apparent, and sulphurous beyond contradiction.

I am not ignorant, that in the preparation of Lac Sulphuris mentioned before, Sulphur also is precipitated by an acid, but that fixt Salts should dissolve Sulphur, but not precipitate it, is what I said I was not so fully satisfied in. Not to mention that the matter precipitated by a fixt Salt is white on the first affusion, though the whiteness be not so permanent, the Sulphur in a short time precipita&rehy;ting in proper colour.

Besides, If Sulphur be boyled in the Bath-wa&rehy;ter, and doth not tinge it with a yellow colour, I presume, it cannot thence be argu'd that there is no Brimstone there, for the colour of the water in which Sulphur is dissolved, is not so much yellow as Lixiviate, or reddish; and therefore Schroder gives this direction for the making that preparation of Sulphur mentioned before, that after the Sulphur and Tartar are mixed, they ought to boyl, donec fere omne Sulphur solutum sit, liquorq; rubeus appareat; though some addition I confess it may have from the Tartar. Yet Closseus, in his way of making that preparation where there is no Salt of Tartar, but, instead of that quick-Lime, which gives no such tincture of it self, hath this Note; Coque, donec partes tres aquæ sint consumptæ, ruborem&rehy;que contraxerit instar sanguinis, ex Sulphure disso&rehy;luto.

I therefore think it no ill advice here, that they that are so much concern'd to give the reason of the mistakes of others, would a little mind to rectifie their own, and not be an Argus abroad, but a Mole at home.

I do also acknowledg, that I believe that the white Magistery or impalpable Powder, precipita&rehy;ted from the Bath-water on the affusion of Salt of Tartar, or any other analogous, or agreeable Salt, is not Sulphurous, much less Aluminous; but ra&rehy;ther Stony, of a lapideous substance, the result of an intimate Commixture, with the body of the Wa&rehy;ters, which may have no small influence on their fer&rehy;mentation, as may hereafter be more fully consi&rehy;der'd.

And as to what reflects on that famous Practitio&rehy;ner, the Ingenious and Learned Dr. Willis, I shall, at present, say no more than this, That ob&rehy;serving one so pedantickly drest up in his own clothes, he ought not to be affrighted with his own shape; only this may be further noted, That where&rehy;as Dr. Willis had desired of me the exacter trial of that Experiment of decocting Sulphur and An&rehy;timony in the Bath-water, I well remember I re&rehy;turn'd him something of both that was precipita&rehy;ted after a double filtration, and the decoction performed in a Vessel altogether free from the season of any fixt Salt.

Yet I must acknowledg, that what was precipi&rehy;tated was very inconsiderable to what was decoct&rehy;ed, and not so much as to make much alteration in the colour of the water; which may deserve their consideration who affirm, a Lime-Chalk Stone, or Lapis calcarius, to be contained in the Waters, and yet deny them to dissolve Sulphur, and again affirm, that Sulphur is dissolved in the water of Lime.

The same alteration of the water into a turbid milky appearance, and the precipitation by oyl of Tartar, of an insipid powder, mentioned before, was also observed in the Spaw at Scarborough, and Sulphur-Well at Knaresbrough, by William Simpson Doctor in Physick, as appears from several places in his Hydrologia Chymica, and Hydrological Essays, which he there asserts to be Aluminous, and page 118. of the latter Treatise saith; By the addition of Oyl of Tartar this Sulphur-water turns white, and that because it is impregnated with a small quantity of a Simple natural Alom Salt. How far Alom is concerned in that water, I shall not here dispute, but leave it to the Learned Dr. Wittie, whose con&rehy;cern it is: only thus much I can say, that the like Phænomenon appearing in these waters, what is thus precipitated here is not Aluminous, as hath been acknowledged by many eminent Physitians, who have seen some quantity of the precipitated powder; and was particularly noted by the ever Honoured Sir Charles Scarbrough, this Summer, here.

But to prevent any mis-understanding, I must acknowledg that this assertion stands on this founda&rehy;tion, That the white powder precipitated by oyl of Tartar from the Waters, is the same with the finer sort of what I had, in greater quantities precipita&rehy;ted spontaneously per decubitum, on the evaporati&rehy;on of many Hogsheads of the Water, and is now to be seen, though not altogether so white nor fine, having undergone many alterations, which being decocted in Spring-water, the water filter'd will precipitate with oyl of Tartar, as the Bath-water doth; yet if any one shall think fit to deem this Saline, and perhaps, Aluminous; he ought to con&rehy;sider, how any Salt can so soon by devested of the essential property of what is saline, as to be rendred perfectly insipid, when saline at first: though I do not absolutely deny, but that we may attribute, though somewhat Catachrestically, the name of Salt, to something not saline, communicating with it in some other of its properties.

I know very well that Alom dissolved in Spring&rehy;water, the Water filter'd and the Salt precipitated with oyl of Tartar, will be impaired much in its saline taste; yet so much of the sowrness, and stip&rehy;ticity will remain, as will be sufficient to discover its nature.