The cause of this phenomenon depends on the property which air possesses of rarefying with heat and condensing with cold, joined to its weight. As soon as the retort is acted on by a less degree of heat than acted on it the instant before, the air contained therein is condensed, and leaves a vacuum, which the external air, by virtue of its weight, tends to occupy; but, the orifice of the retort being under water, the external air can no way gain admittance, but by pushing in before it the water which intercepts its passage. This caution, as we observed above, must be applied to all distillations, where the vessels are disposed as they are in this.
Care must also be taken that the nose of the retort be not placed too deep under water: for as the neck grows very warm during the operation, because the degree of heat required to raise Mercury is about three times greater than that which raises water, it may easily be broken by the contact of the cold water in the receiver.
This method of extracting Gold and Silver from their ores, by Amalgamation with Mercury, is not to be absolutely depended on as a sure proof of the quantity of those metals that may be contained in the earth assayed by this means: for some small part of the Amalgam is always lost in washing it; and, moreover, the Mercury, when squeezed through chamoy, always carries with it a small portion of Gold. So that if you desire to know more exactly, by this method, the quantity of Gold or Silver contained in any earth, the Amalgam must not be squeezed through chamoy, but distilled altogether. Much the surest method of making an accurate assay is that by fusion and scorification, which we shall describe under the head of Silver.
In some countries, and especially in America, the method of Amalgamation is used for extracting Gold and Silver in large quantities, from the matrices which contain them in their metalline form. Agricola and other metallurgists have described the machines by means whereof such Amalgamations are managed.
PROCESS II.
To dissolve Gold in Aqua regis, and by that means to separate it from Silver. Aurum Fulminans. Aurum Fulminans reduced.
Take Gold that is perfectly pure, or alloyed with Silver only. Reduce it to little thin plates, by hammering it on an anvil. If it be not sufficiently tough, neal it till it be red in a moderate, clear fire, quite free from smoking coals, and then let it cool gradually, which will restore its ductility.
When the plates are thin enough, make them red hot once more, and cut them into small bits with a pair of sheers. Put these bits into a tall, narrow-mouthed cucurbit, and pour on them twice their weight of good Aqua regis, made of one part Sal Ammoniac, or Spirit of Salt, and four parts Spirit of Nitre. Set the cucurbit in a sand-bath moderately heated, stopping its orifice slightly with a paper coffin, to prevent any dirt from falling in. The Aqua regis will presently begin to smoke. Round the little bits of Gold will be formed an infinite number of small bubbles, which will rise to the surface of the liquor. The Gold will totally dissolve, if it be pure, and the solution will be of a beautiful yellow colour: if the Gold be alloyed with a small quantity of Silver, the latter will remain at the bottom of the vessel in the form of a white powder. If the Gold be alloyed with much Silver, when the Gold is dissolved the Silver will retain the form of the little metalline plates put into the vessel.
When the dissolution is completed, gently pour off the liquor into another low, wide-mouthed, glass cucurbit, taking care that none of the Silver, which lies at the bottom in the form of a powder, escape with the liquor. On this powder of Silver pour as much fresh Aqua regis as will cover it entirely; and repeat this till you are sure that nothing more can be taken up by it. Lastly, having decanted the Aqua regis from the Silver, wash the Silver with a little Spirit of Salt weakened with water, and add this Spirit of Salt to the Aqua regis in which your Gold is dissolved. Then to the body containing these liquors fit a head and a receiver, and distil with a gentle heat, till the matter contained in the cucurbit become dry.
OBSERVATIONS.