Further, he distilled this salt separately with lamp-black, and obtained from it a considerable quantity of very fine Phosphorus. He even mixed Luna cornea with this Salt, in order to see whether it would not increase the quantity of his Phosphorus; but without success: whence he concluded, that in this Saline matter resides the true Acid that is fit to enter into the composition of Phosphorus. This opinion is confirmed by several experiments on the Acid of Phosphorus, which he found to have some properties resembling those of this Salt.
The Acid of Phosphorus seems to be more fixed than any other: and therefore if you would separate it, by burning, from the Phlogiston with which it is united, there is no occasion for such an apparatus of vessels as is employed for obtaining the Spirit of Sulphur. For this Acid will remain at the bottom of the vessel in which you burn your Phosphorus: indeed, if it be urged by the force of fire, its most subtile part evaporates, and the remainder appears in the form of a vitrified matter.
This Acid effervesces with fixed and volatile Alkalis, and therewith forms Neutral Salts; but very different from Sea-salt, and from Sal Ammoniac. That which has a fixed Alkali for its basis does not crackle when thrown on burning coals; but swells and vitrifies like Borax. That which has a volatile Alkali for its basis shoots into long pointed crystals; and, being urged by fire in a retort, lets go its volatile alkali, a vitrified matter remaining behind. This Salt is like that above-mentioned, as obtained from urine and yielding Phosphorus.
It appears from the experiments adduced, that the Acid of Phosphorus tends always to vitrification; which proves that it is not pure, and gave M. Marggraff cause to think that it is altered by the admixture of a very subtile vitrifiable earth.
M. Marggraff also obtained Phosphorus from several vegetable substances which we use every day for food. This gives him occasion to conjecture, that the Salt requisite to the formation of Phosphorus exists in vegetables, and passes from thence into the animals that feed upon them.
Lastly, he concludes his dissertation by informing us of a very important truth, viz. That the Acid obtained from Phosphorus, by burning it, will serve to form Phosphorus anew; for which purpose it need only be combined with some charred coal, such as lamp-black, and distilled.
From what hath been said on this subject it is plain, that the Chymists have a great many curious and interesting inquiries to make concerning Phosphorus, and particularly concerning its Acid.
I shall conclude this article with an account of certain properties of Phosphorus which I have not yet mentioned.
Phosphorus dissolves by lying exposed to the air. What water cannot effect, says M. Hellot, or at least requires eight or ten years to bring about, the moisture of the air accomplishes in ten or twelve days; whether it be that the Phosphorus takes fire in the air, and the inflammable part evaporating, almost entirely, leaves the Acid of the Phosphorus naked, which, like all other Acids, when exceedingly concentrated, is very greedy of moisture; or else that the moisture of the air, being water divided into infinitely fine particles, is so subtile as to find its way through the pores of the Phosphorus, into which the grosser particles of common water can by no means insinuate themselves.
Phosphorus heated by the vicinity of fire, or by being any way rubbed, soon takes fire and burns fiercely. It is soluble in all Oils and in Ether, giving to those liquors the property of appearing luminous when the bottle containing the solution is opened. Being boiled in water, it likewise communicates thereto this luminous quality. M. Morin, Professor at Chartres, is the author of this observation.