And first
finding that this Tincture, if it were too copious in the water, Kept the
Colours from being so lively, and their Change from being so discernable,
and finding also that the Impregnating Virtue of this Wood did by its being
frequently Infus'd in New Water by degrees Decay, I Conjectur'd that the
Tincture afforded by the Wood must proceed from some Subtiler parts of it
drawn forth by the Water, which swimming too and fro in it did so Modifie
the Light, as to exhibit such and such Colours; and because these Subtile
parts were so easily Soluble even in Cold water, I concluded that they must
abound with Salts, and perhaps contain much of the Essential Salt, as the
_Chymists_ call it, of the Wood. And to try whether these Subtile parts
were Volatile enough to be Distill'd, without the Dissolution of their
Texture, I carefully Distill'd some of the Tincted Liquor in very low
Vessels, and the gentle heat of a Lamp Furnace; but found all that came
over to be as Limpid and Colourless as Rock-water, and the Liquor remaining
in the Vessel to be so deeply Caeruleous, that it requir'd to be oppos'd to
a very strong Light to appear of any other Colour. I took likewise a Vial
with Spirit of Wine, and a little Salt of Harts-horn, and found that there
was a certain proportion to be met with betwixt the Liquor and the Salt,
which made the Mixture fit to exhibit some little Variety of Colours not
Observable in ordinary Liquors, as it was variously directed in reference
to the Light and the Eye, but this Change of Colour was very far short from
that which we had admir'd in our Tincture.
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