The liquor turned very red, and the crystalls being putt on a red hott
iron flew away immediately, like saltpetre, leaving behind a very
little quantity of something that look'd like burnt allum. Now it is
certain that salts doe many times mixe; and Mr. Robert Boyle tells me
hee believes it is sea-salt mix't with {nitre}, and there is a way to
separate them. After a shower this spring will smoake. The mudd or
earth cleanses and scowres incomparably. A pike of eighteen foot long
will not reach to the bottome.
My Lady Cocks of Dumbleton told me that ladies did send ten miles and
more for water from a spring on Malverne hill in Worcestershire to
wash their faces and make 'em faire. I believe it was such a nitrous
spring as this.
___________________________________
The fuller's earth which they use at Wilton is brought from Woburne
in Bedfordshire; and sold for ten groates a bushell.
___________________________________
The Baths may have its tinging vertue from the antimonie in Mendip.
Quaere Mr. Kenrick, that when he changed a sixpence holding it in his
hand it turned yellow, and a woman refused it for bad silver. I thinke
he had been making crocus of antimonie. The chymists doe call
antimony Proteus, from its various colouring.
___________________________________
Mr. T. Hanson, of Magd. Coll. Oxon, acquaints me in a letter of May
18, 1691, that he observes that almost all the well-waters about the
north part of Wiltshire were very brackish.
Pages:
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75