Elements of the Theory and Practice of Chymistry (Volume 2) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1758. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... as this decomposition can not be effected without a greater degree of heat, there is reason to apprehend that some of the Sal Ammoniac would be thereby sublimed before it could be decompounded. PROCESS IV. Sal Ammoniac decompounded by Fixed Alkalis. Volatile Salt. The Febrifuge of Sylvius. IN T O a glass alembic or retort put Sal Ammoniac and Salt of Tartar pulverized and mixed together in equal quantities. Set your vessel in a proper furnace, and immediately lute on a krge receiver. A little Volatile Spirit will ascend; and a Volatile Alkali, in a concrete form, very white and beautiful, will sublime into the head, and come over into the receiver, in quantity near two thirds or three fourths of the Sal Ammoniac used. Continue the distillation, increasing the fire by degrees, till nothing more will sublime. Then unlute the vessels. Put up your Volatile Salt immediately into a wide-mouthed bottle, and stop it close with a crystal stopple. At the bottom of the retort, or cucurbite, you will find a saline mass, which, being dissolved and crystallized, will form a Salt nearly -cubical, having the taste and other properties of Sea-salt. This is the Sal Febrifugum Sylvii. O B S ERVAT IONS. This decomposition of Sal Ammoniac is the reverse of that in the preceding process. In the .former operation it was (hewn that the Acid of Saf Ammoniac may be separated from its basis by applying to that basis a stronger Acid: in the present operation, qa the contrary, the basis of this Salt is separated separated from its Acid by presenting to that Acid a Fixed Alkali, wherewith it hath a greater affinity than with the Volatile Alkali which serves it for a basis. The action of Fixed Alkalis upon Sal Ammoniac is so vigorous and sudden, that, as soon as these two matters are mixed to...