Elements of the Theory and Practice of Chymistry, 5th ed.

by Pierre Joseph Macquer

The late Mr. Grosse, a celebrated Chymist of the Academy of Sciences, observed, that Phosphorus being dissolved in essential oils crystallizes therein. These crystals take fire in the air, either when thrown into a dry vessel, or wrapt up in a piece of paper. If they be dipped in Spirit of Wine, and taken out immediately, they do not afterwards take fire in the air: they smoke a little, and for a very short time, but hardly waste at all. Though some of them were left in a spoon for a fortnight, they did not seem to have lost any thing of their bulk: but when the spoon was warmed a little they took fire, just like common Phosphorus that had never been dissolved and crystallized in an essential Oil.

M. Marggraff, having put a dram of Phosphorus, with an ounce of highly concentrated Spirit of Nitre, into a glass retort, observed, that, without the help of fire, the Acid dissolved the Phosphorus; that part of the Acid came over into the recipient which was luted to the retort; that, at the same time, the Phosphorus took fire, burnt furiously, and burst the vessels with explosion. Nothing of this kind happens when any of the other Acids, though concentrated, are applied to Phosphorus.

PROCESS III.

To decompose Sea-salt by means of the Vitriolic Acid. Glauber's Salt. The Purification and Concentration of Spirit of Salt.

Put the Sea-salt from which you mean to extract the Acid into an unglazed earthen pipkin, and set it amidst live coals. The Salt will decrepitate, grow dry, and fall into a powder. Put this decrepitated Salt into a tubulated glass retort, leaving two thirds thereof empty. Set the retort in a reverberating furnace; apply a receiver like that used in distilling the Smoking Spirit of Nitre, and lute it on in the same manner, or rather more exactly if possible. Then through the hole, in the upper convexity of the retort, pour a quantity of highly concentrated Oil of Vitriol, equal in weight to about a third part of your Salt, and immediately shut the hole very close with a glass stopple, first ground therein with emery so as to fit it exactly.

As soon as the Oil of Vitriol touches the Salt, the retort and receiver will be filled with abundance of white vapours; and soon after, without lighting any fire in the furnace, drops of a yellow liquor will distil from the nose of the retort. Let the distillation proceed in this manner without fire, as long as you perceive any drops come: afterwards kindle a very small fire under the retort, and continue distilling and raising the fire by very slow degrees, and with great caution, to the end of the distillation; which will be finished before you have occasion to make the retort red-hot. Unlute the vessels, and without delay pour the liquor, which is a very smoking Spirit of Salt, out of the receiver into a crystal bottle, like that directed for the smoking Spirit of Nitre.

OBSERVATIONS.

Sea-Salt, as hath been already said, is a Neutral Salt composed of an Acid, which differs from those of Vitriol and Nitre, combined with a fixed Alkali that has some peculiar properties; but does not vary from the others in its affinities. This Salt therefore, as well as Nitre, must be decomposed by the Vitriolic Acid; which accordingly is the case in the process here described. The Vitriolic Acid unites with the Alkaline basis of the Sea-salt, and separates its Acid; and that with much greater facility than it expels the Nitrous Acid from its Alkaline basis, because the Acid of Sea-salt has not so great an affinity as the Nitrous Acid with Fixed Alkalis.

As a highly concentrated Oil of Vitriol is used on this occasion, and as the Sea-salt is previously dried and decrepitated, the Acid obtained from it by distillation is very free from phlegm, and always smokes, even more violently than the strongest Acid of Nitre. The vapours of this Acid are also much more elastic and more penetrating than those of the Nitrous Acid: on which account this distillation of the smoking Spirit of Salt is one of the most difficult, most laborious, and most dangerous operations in Chymistry.

This process requires a tubulated retort, that the Oil of Vitriol may be mixed with the Sea-salt after the receiver is well luted to the retort, and not before: for, as soon as these two matters come together, the Spirit of Salt rushes out with so much impetuosity, that, if the vessels were not luted at the time, the copious vapours that would issue through the neck of the ballon would so moisten it, as well as the neck of the retort, that it would be impracticable to apply the lute and secure the joint as the operation requires. Moreover, the operator would be exposed to those dangerous fumes, which, on this occasion, rush out, and enter the lungs, with such incredible activity as to threaten instant suffocation.