|6 The N' A T U R A l H I S T 0 R % 4 f
Cerberus Chymicus, attd S d Inffinalm; By Ridandus and > fohnfth,
it is called FxxVitri, and Cims Claveliatus, and fo'by Fallopius,
and fotftetinifes CabaliitaryAlgdli,'Anatron, Tincar, Sagd) Here
like wife-is to be noted that Aph<imtrUm,^\ed>hT^k^(^ddius
in his Tra&sc/e Fqfftbus Sitefia,flos Aft*, and Spuma Nitriy ish6r, as
I eoneefv^ fpecifically diftindt from the Natron here fpoke of. For
according, toMolenbrocbius, and Junken, that* will Ferment rwith
an Acidi, and is commended in the fameDiftempers, as th&Nitre
of Nkr&fagain it isfaid by Pliny fonribus quibufdam irindtatpVide-
iurq; nilodhfdrri.
By Eneelim it is faid to be found in Armenia, Rabbdtb, Africa,
Rome,2Egypt,ov Babylon, and therefore by him is dirfidfeddnfco fix
SpeciesfNiftum, Del eft1 Armen. Afric.ijMgypt. -Rabbatb; Rom. Pel.
Babyt. n By Wormhir it is faid to be found in K-tiva. Hi-
jfpania; The Natron may be defcribed thus, it is kb Alkaly Salt
perforated like a Sponge, and of a Lixivial tafte!,andthu$ I find
[t defcribed by Pliny, Matbitilus, and Agrkolef. J -Its^Fririciples I
take to be chiefly twojwz. a Sd Marine, and an UtfnOiKSak.
•* ‘ That it-eontainsa jfal Marine feems manifefly by tteffExperiments,
firft^ 'becanfe that a Solution of the Natron has much of the
taft that a Solution of Sd Marine hath, lecondly, iri Evaporati-
on the Particles of the Natron incruftated upon the furface-of the
Water, as the Particles of Sea-Salt do in Evaporation; ‘‘ Thirdly,
becaufe the Natron is perforated , which proceeds- a& 1 l'uppole
from a Sal Marine, for that when it Chryftallizeth fhooitefh into
little Cavities ; Fourthly, if the Natron be mixed with Ealt of
Tartar, it emits the fame Spirit as Sal Armoniac, when mixt with
the fame Salt. And Laftly , That it contains a Sea Salt feems
plain from Cefalpinus. Says he, Efflorefcit etiam fponte non folum in
fdlims ad Jimilitudinem Idnuginis cdnefcentis, fed etiam in Vafis in
quibus fal eontinetur ; But here it is to be noted, that though the
Nitrian Water is of a blufliy Colour, and makes a brisk fermentation
with an Acid, yet a folution of Natron looks clear, and will
not ferment with an Acid; the reafon why a folution of theNatron
looks clear, though the Nitrian Water, which is but a folution of
the fame Salt, is of a bluihy Colour, may perhaps be this.
I fuppofe
t A M c A s h i r e ,: &
t El fuppofe that the «Water afj Latmz receives its. fednefs from^a
ted clammy fubftance,Mwhich ferves chie%jtd-cem'en^th.e two
Salts together, yand this I • the -rather, corije^u^ultie^^^fteij a
folution of the Natron hadpafs’d through! p ll 40
fon why a folution of the'^s^j^wilknppfe?inenj^with,'anAcad 1
eonc^iyf>|orbe|this,! becauffi ifla&pg^ef^^blutiop J^p^rtSing
feperated one from anothef j by the- pa r ft m®-
lings are an(^
I found that if into, a- foliation- of iheNafron^ I pouf*dan Acid
ing perfectly diflolved, it mde
the Water came tobe;dear,the,iSalt beingrrhep^fe^lydiiTolved,
III thenipouredan?Add upon it,,ife wou’d/foofcTdrji^n^ ; I liker
wifeTpufld that this folutiofl, bfing- Evaporated to a third part,
wou’A’^rrttent^giinv- 4 8 t
ItsfeCdad Principle I take? tb*be an Uriddy$c§&k''$ofFkft, . be?
eaufe if mixed f c & f wty$
mixed with the fame Saif.
Secondly, when it wasdiftilled wichSaltof Tartar ip a retorts
it’ afforded an Urinous Spirit as .piercing -as,' Spirit pf'igal Armq-
niac.
I come now to the rifeof; its Prindples^T-Aforitfe,• and’ a
volatile Alkaly,- Sd Marine being a Poffitegaff,
granted it-feceives from^ ^ iM i|§ g g £0^95
ft rate it hath its volatile; Alkaly from the Air ; it
is faid by Plmyfpwpain Ni&ji (•vyhidh: !^pok^4 |^‘
Antiqui negebant pH nifi rof tepitiiffet. By > Monfieupd^fe’
it is affirmed, that three or four days hefotfr the ’ NilOibggiug :ta
overflow, there falls a certaindew which1 hatha fermenting virtue,
and leavns a Paft expofed to thf.Ai^ andfat that time
faith Pliny, and Le Cbambre, the Nitre Pits grow full of A i^
and fands. Vanjfebius, and feveral fay, that though. 50^ in a day
die at Grand Cairo o f,the Plague,', before tlie beginning of ^the
Inundation of the Nile, yet the very day a f^ :ther§!d^snoton§
K die,