Historical introduction to chemistry / by T.M. Lowry.

  • Martin Lowry
Date:
1915
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Historical introduction to chemistry / by T.M. Lowry. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    40/608 page 20
    Muriates.—Glauber, who discovered the first efficient method of making spirit of salt or muriatic acid, prepared the MURIATES of iron,copper, gold, and other metals, by the action of spirit of salt, or of aqua regia upon the metals ; he obtained them in the form of strong solutions which he described as “oil of Mars,” “oil of Venus,” etc., in accordance with the alchemistic system (which survives in the case of Mercury) of calling each of the common metals after a planet. ('ommon salt, which can be prepared artificially by recom¬ bining muriatic acid with soda, is a muriate of soda. The corresponding muriate of potash, known as sal sylvii, or sylvine, was prepared by the action of muriatic acid on wood-ashes or potash. Extensive deposits of the salt have been found at Stassfurt in Germany ; the mineral is used on a large scale as a fertiliser in agriculture, and is one of the chief sources from which potash is derived. Black in 1755 prepared the muriate of magnesia, and compared its properties with those of muriate of lime. Acetates.—Of the salts derived from organic acids the most important were the acetates prepared from vinegar, or acetic acid. The acetate of soda and acetate of lime prepared by the action of vinegar on soda and on chalk (as described on p. 15), were amongst the first salts to be prepared arti¬ ficially. Mention may also be made of the acetate of lead which Basil Valentine prepared from vinegar and litharge, and which acquired the name sugar of lead on account of its sweet taste; also of the acetate of copper, which he prepared by the action of vinegar on verdigris. “There is extracted from calcined Saturn [/.*., burnt lead or litharge] with distilled Vinegar a Crystalline Salt.” “Take some pounds of Verdigris, extract its Tincture with distilled Vinegar, let it shoot, then you have a glorious Vitriol.” (Basil Valentine, Last Will and Testament, pp. 349 and 351.)
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3