DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19574#0020
8 A M B
iron rod till it begins to rife in fmoke ; this is afterwards poured
out into a veffel full of water, where it coagulates and becomes
manageable.
This Amalgamation or calcination is of great ufe, not only to
goldfmiths, but alfo to gilders, who, by this operation, render
gold fluid and ductile for their ufes. Such amalgama, or
mixture, being laid on any other metal, as fuppofe copper, and
this afterwards placed on the fire to evaporate, the gold will
be left alone on the furface of the copper or other metal, and is
what we call gilding.
The blacknefs that adheres to the amalgama may be wafhed
away with water, and much of the mercury may be fqueefed
or preffed out through a linen cloth ; the reft being evaporated
jn a crucible, the gold will remain behind in an impalpable
powder.
Gold will retain about three times its own weight of mer-
curv.
This operation is denoted among chymifts by the letters
AAA.
AMBER, is a yellow tranfparent fubftance, of a gummous
and bituminous form and fubfiftence, but a refinous tafte, and
a fmell like oil of turpentine.
It is chiefly found in the Baltic fea, along the coafts of Pruf-
fia, Sic.
Naturalifrs differ widely in their opinions as to the origin of
Amber, and as to what clafs of bodies it belongs to ; fome fup-
pofing it to proceed from vegetables, others from a mineral,
and even fome from animals.
Pliny defcribes it as a refinous juice oozing from aged pines
and firs, others from poplar-trees (of which there are whole
forefts on the coafts of Sweden) and difcharged thence into the
fea ; where, having undergone fome alteration, it is thrown in
this form upon the fhores of Pruffia, which lie very low.
Some have imagined it a concretion of the tears of birds;
others the urine of beafts, others the fcum of the lake Cephi-
fide, near the Atlantic ; others a congelation formed in the
Baltic fea, and in fome fountains, where it is found fwimming
like pitch.
Others fuppofe it a bitumen, trickling into the fea from fub-
terraneous fources; there concreted into this form, and thrown
afhore by the waves.
This laft opinion was for a long time moft popular, and
feemed to have the beft foundation : But this too is now dif-
carded, as good Amber having been found in digging the
ground, at a confiderable diftance from the fea, as that ga-
thered on the coafts.
Others
iron rod till it begins to rife in fmoke ; this is afterwards poured
out into a veffel full of water, where it coagulates and becomes
manageable.
This Amalgamation or calcination is of great ufe, not only to
goldfmiths, but alfo to gilders, who, by this operation, render
gold fluid and ductile for their ufes. Such amalgama, or
mixture, being laid on any other metal, as fuppofe copper, and
this afterwards placed on the fire to evaporate, the gold will
be left alone on the furface of the copper or other metal, and is
what we call gilding.
The blacknefs that adheres to the amalgama may be wafhed
away with water, and much of the mercury may be fqueefed
or preffed out through a linen cloth ; the reft being evaporated
jn a crucible, the gold will remain behind in an impalpable
powder.
Gold will retain about three times its own weight of mer-
curv.
This operation is denoted among chymifts by the letters
AAA.
AMBER, is a yellow tranfparent fubftance, of a gummous
and bituminous form and fubfiftence, but a refinous tafte, and
a fmell like oil of turpentine.
It is chiefly found in the Baltic fea, along the coafts of Pruf-
fia, Sic.
Naturalifrs differ widely in their opinions as to the origin of
Amber, and as to what clafs of bodies it belongs to ; fome fup-
pofing it to proceed from vegetables, others from a mineral,
and even fome from animals.
Pliny defcribes it as a refinous juice oozing from aged pines
and firs, others from poplar-trees (of which there are whole
forefts on the coafts of Sweden) and difcharged thence into the
fea ; where, having undergone fome alteration, it is thrown in
this form upon the fhores of Pruffia, which lie very low.
Some have imagined it a concretion of the tears of birds;
others the urine of beafts, others the fcum of the lake Cephi-
fide, near the Atlantic ; others a congelation formed in the
Baltic fea, and in fome fountains, where it is found fwimming
like pitch.
Others fuppofe it a bitumen, trickling into the fea from fub-
terraneous fources; there concreted into this form, and thrown
afhore by the waves.
This laft opinion was for a long time moft popular, and
feemed to have the beft foundation : But this too is now dif-
carded, as good Amber having been found in digging the
ground, at a confiderable diftance from the fea, as that ga-
thered on the coafts.
Others