But before we set them down, it will not perhaps appear impertinent to premise;
That there seems to be a manifest Disparity betwixt Red Liquors, so that some of them may be said to have a Genuine Redness in comparison of others, that have a Yellowish Redness: For if you take (for example) a good Tincture of Chochineel, dilute it never so much with fair Water, you will not (as far as I can judge by what I have tried) be able to make it a Yellow Liquor. Insomuch that a Single
drop of a rich Solution of Cochineel in Spirit of Urine, being Diluted with above an Ounce of fair Water, exhibited no Yellowishness at all, but a fair (though somewhat faint) Pinck or Carnation; and even when Cochineel was by degrees Diluted much beyond the newly mention'd Colour, by the way formerly related to you in the twenty fourth Experiment, I remember not, that there appear'd in the whole Trial any Yellow. But if you take Balsom of Sulphur (for Instance) though it may appear in a Glass, where it has a good Thickness, to be of a deep Red, yet if you shake the Glass, or pour a few drops on a sheet of White Paper, spreading them on it with your Finger, the Balsom that falls back along the sides of the Glass, and that which stains the Paper, will appear Yellow, not Red. And there are divers Tinctures, such as that of Amber made with Spirit of Wine, (to name now no more) that will appear either Yellow or Red, according as the Vessels that they fill, are Slender or Broad.
EXPERIMENT XXXIII.
But to proceed to the Experiments I was about to deliver; First; Oyl or Spirit
of Turpentine, though clear as fair Water, being Digested upon the purely White Sugar of Lead, has, in a short time, afforded us a high Red Tincture, that some Artists are pleas'd to call the Balsom of Saturn, which they very much (and probably not altogether without cause) extoll as an excellent Medicine in divers Outward affections.
EXPERIMENT XXXIV.
Next, take of common Brimstone finely powdred five Ounces, of Sal-Armoniack likewise pulveriz'd an equal weight, of beaten Quick-lime six Ounces, mix these Powders exquisitely, and Distill them through a Retort plac'd in Sand by degrees of Fire, giving at length as intense a Heat as you well can in Sand, there will come over (if you have wrought well) a Volatile Tincture of Sulphur, which may probably prove an excellent Medicine, and should have been mention'd among the other Preparations of Sulphur, which we have elsewhere imparted to you, but that it is very pertinent to our present Subject, The change of Colours. For though none of the Ingredients be Red, the Distill'd Liquor will be so: and this Liquor if it
be well Drawn, will upon a little Agitation of the Vial first unstop'd (especially if it be held in a Warmer hand) lend forth a copious Fume, not Red, like that of Nitre, but White; And sometimes this Liquor may be so Drawn, that I remember, not long since, I took pleasure to observe in a parcel of it, that Ingredients not Red, did not only yield by Distillation a Volatile Spirit that was Red, but though that Liquor did upon the bare opening of the Bottle it was kept in, drive us away with the plenty and sulphureous sent of a White steam which it sent forth, yet the Liquor it self being touch'd by our Fingers, did immediately Dye them Black.