these Chymists are much mistaken in it, that account it a simple Liquor,
and one of their Hypostatical Principles: for not to mention what flegm it
may have, I found that with a few drops of one of this sort of Spirits
mix'd with a good proportion of Syrrup of Violets, I could change the
Colour and make it Purplish, by the affinity of which Colour to Redness, I
conjectur'd that this Spirit had some Acid Corpuscles in it, and
accordingly I found that as it would destroy the Blewness of a Tincture of
_Lignum Nephriticum_, so being put upon Corals it would Corrode them, as
common Spirit of Vinegar, and other Acid Liquors are wont to do. And
farther to examine whether there were not a great part of the Liquor that
was not of an Acid nature, having separated the Sour or Vinegar-like part
from the rest, which (if I mistake not) is far the more Copious, we
concluded as we had conjectured, the other or remaining part, though it had
a strong taste as well as smell, to be of a nature differing from that of
either of the three sorts of Salts above mention'd, since it did as little
as Spirit of Wine, and Chymical Oyls, alter the Colour either of Syrrup of
Violets or Solution of Sublimate, whence we also inferr'd that the change
that had been made of that Syrrup into a Purple Colour, was effected by the
Vinegar, that was one of the two Ingredients of the Liquor, which was wont
to pass for a Simple or Uncompounded Spirit. And, upon this account, 'twas
of the Spirit of Oak (and the like Concretes) freed from it's Vinegar that
I elsewhere told you, that I had not then observ'd it, (and I have repeated
the Tryal but very lately) to destroy the Cæruleous Tincture of _Lignum
Nephriticum_. But this onely, _en passant_; for the Chief thing I had to
add was this, That by the same way may be examin'd and discover'd, divers
changes that are produc'd in Bodies either by Nature only, or by Art;
either of them being able by changing the Texture of some Concretes I could
name, to qualifie them to Operate after a New manner upon the above
mention'd Syrrup, or Solution, or both. And by this means, to tell you that
upon the by, I have been able to discover, that there may be made Bodies,