Herman Boerhaave

I was desirous to know what would happen to the Mercury, if it was still forced by a Fire requisite to Distillation.

The Operation.

I took care to distill, as before, the 16 Ounces and 5 Drachms of Mercury remaining from the former Operation: I distill’d it so long, ’till there remained none in the Bottom. What was came over, being cleaned and dried, I always poured again into the same Retort. This Work I repeated 448 distinct times. Now this Mercury had been forced by Distillation compleatly 500 times: It had risen always more fluid and pure. The last time I heated the Fire more, but then the red Powder seem’d rather to be lessened than increased, perhaps being in part revived.

The Effect.

The Powder in the bottom of the Retort, weigh’d 1 Ounce, 5 Drams, and 21 Grains. The Mercury remaining after 500 Distillations, weighed 9 Ounces and 5 Drachms: But it happen’d, in so often distilling, that sometimes the Retorts broke, and so some of the Mercury got away, besides what was lost by so often cleaning and drying.

Corollaries.

1. The Corollaries of the second and fourth Operations, are likewise true in this Operation.

2. The Mercury is very unchangeable in one part,

3. Yet continually changeable in the other part.

4. Out of the altered Form, perhaps it returns into its former Shape.

5. And perhaps after Regeneration by a new Action of Fire, it is carried back again into the altered Shape.