Part 3 / Book 4 — Lecture III. - Lixivial Salt

AN ESSAY OF THE Various Proportions Wherein the LIXIVIAL SALT Is found in PLANTS. Read before the Royal Society, March, 1676.

CHAP. I.

Of the QUANTITIES afforded by several Plants calcined in gross.

T is the part of a Physician, knowingly and artificially to use and govern Nature. And therefore by every likely Method, to inspect the State and Properties of all sorts of Bodies. One Method, is that I have taken in the foregoing Experiments; sc. by mixing them with several Menstruums or Liquors: whereby we may be assisted to judge, both of the Kinds and the Proportions of Principles in any Body; and of the manner of their Mixture in the same.

Another is by Calcining them; or, as it were, by mixing them with the Fire, a potent and almost universal Menstruum. I shall here only set down some Tryals for an Essay, upon Plants; chiefly noting, The different Proportions of their Lixivial Salts. Of these Tryals, some were made upon the whole Plant, or some Portion of it wherein several Parts are mixed together: And others, upon some one Part of a Plant distinct from the rest. All of them answering to such Queries, as may seem proper to be proposed.

Query 1. As first, Whether Trees or Herbs and Bushes, quantity for quantity & cæteris paribus, yield the most Lixivial Salt?

For this I took Ash-Barque and Rosemary of each ℔j. The latter yielded 5 Scruples; the former but 32 Grains; which is three times less. I took also the same quantity of the Barque of Black-Thorn, and of Agrimony. The latter yielded 5 Scruples and 6 Grains; the former, not above 1 Scruple and 5 Grains; which is four times less.

Although the Barque of a Tree be compounded of Pithy and Lignous Parts; yet to answer the Query exactly, the Wood of these Trees should be taken with the Barque, that there may be some portion of every Part of the Tree, as well as of the Herb.

But thus far the Experiment is conclusive, That the same quantity of Lixivial Salt, doth not always follow the same Generical Tast. For the Barque of Ash and Rosemary, are both equally Bitter; and the Barque of Black-Thorn and Agrimony are both Astringent and Bitter.

Quer. 2. Whether any Plant growing in a Garden or the Field, doth not yield a lesser quantity of Lixivial Salt, than another of the same kindred growing on the Sea-Coast; and with what difference?

For this, I took Garden and Sea-Scurvygrass, of each ℔j. The former yields 2 Drachms and 1 Scruple; the latter, being well washed, 9 Drachms, which is more than 4 times as much. The like may be tryed upon others.

Quer. 3. Whether the same Specifick Plant affords more Lixivial Salt, being only dryed, and then calcin’d, or after it hath first been distilled, it is then dryed and calcin’d?

For this, was taken ℔j of Mint only dryed and then calcin’d; and another first distilled. The former yielded ½ an Ounce and ½ a Drachm of Salt; the latter, 5 Drachms and a Scruple; which is almost ⅕ᵗʰ more. This also should be tryed on other Plants.

Quer. 4. How far the proportion follows the different Tasts of Plants? The first Experiment, relates to the same Tast in several Plants; this, to several Tasts. And so,

Of Majorane, which is Aromatick, ℔j affords but one Scruple of Lixivial Salt; which is but the 384ᵗʰ part of the whole pound.

Of Oak-Barque which is Astringent, ℔j yields ½ a Drachm of Salt; or the 256ᵗʰ part of the whole.

Of Liquirish, which is sweet, ℔j yields about the same quantity. But Anise Seeds ℔j yields 2 Scruples or a 192ᵈ part.

Of Sorrel, which is sower, ℔j yields one Drachm, or the 128ᵗʰ part.

Of Garden Scurvygrass, which is Hot, ℔j yields 2 Drachms and ½ a Scruple; or the 59ᵗʰ part.

Of Mint, which is Hot and Bitter, ℔j yields 5 Drachms and a Scruple, or the 24ᵗʰ part.

Of Sea Scurvygrass, which is Salt, ℔j yields 9 Drachms and a Scruple or 28 Scruples; which is near 1/13ᵗʰ part of the whole. A greater proportion of Salt, than in any other Plant upon which I have hitherto made Tryal: Or even in Tartar it self. Yet is it not a Marine, but true Lixivial Salt: as is evident, both from its Taste; and in that it maketh an Effervescence with Spirit of Salt; which Sea-Salt will not do.

For the Experiment to be fully adequate to the Query; the Tryals should be made, either all on Trees, or all on Herbs; all on Roots, or all on Stalks, &c. Yet thus much is evident, That Sorrel yields Thrice as much as Majorane; Sea-Scurvygrass, Eight and Twenty times as much: Mint, Five times as much as Sorrel; and Sixteen times as much Majorane, &c.

Quer. 5. How far the Proportion follows the Faculties of Plants? And so, it appears, that

Majorane, a Cephalick, hath a greater Proportion of Volatile Parts, than any of the Plants above mentioned, and so far, is more agreeable to the Animal Spirits, and Genus Nervosum.

Agrimony,[76] an Aperient, yields above Five times as much Lixivial Salt, as Majorane. Yet much less than many other opening Plants which are stronger.

Mugwort (℔j) yields two Drachms and two Scruples; or above half as much more as Agrimony. So that this Plant, though it hath no considerable Taste, and in that respect promiseth but little; yet yielding a good quantity of Lixivial Salt, seems no contemptible Medicine to subdue those Acidities which either by causing Obstructions, or immoderate Fermentations, frequently disorder the Female Sex.

Mint, yieldeth still a greater quantity; and is therefore, partly for the same cause so excellent a Stomachick: And Rosemary,⁠[77] which is appropriated both to the Head and Stomach, yieldeth a midle quantity of Salt; more than the chief Cephalicks, and less than the chief Stomachicks.

Common Mallow (℔j) yields 5 Drachms and 2 Scruples. i. e. the 23ᵈ part of the whole. So that this Plant, though of a very mild Taste, yet yields more Salt than Mint it self a Bitter Plant. Whereby it no longer seems strange, that a Plant of so soft a Taste, should be very Diuretick, and so evidently affect the Reins.

Rhubarb (2 Ounces) yieldeth scarce any fixed Salt, so for as can be judged by the Taste of the Ashes, not more than a Grain or two. So that its Salt is, in a manner, wholly volatile; and thereby apter to operate upon the Bilious parts of the Blood; which contein a far greater proportion of Volatile Salt, than do the Serous.

Of the Caput Mortuum or meer Earth, it is observable, that it was near ½ an Ounce or ¼ᵗʰ part of the whole; Which is almost Six times as much as the Caput Mortuum of Common Dock: and much more than that of any other Root I have yet calcin’d. Whereby it seemeth probable that Rhubarb looseth much of its Volatile Part, and therefore of its Virtue, before it comes to our Shops.

Sena (℔j) yields 4 Scruples and ½ of Salt; or the 85ᵗʰ part.

Jalap (℔j) yields but one Drachm and 15 Grains, or 102ᵈ part.

Colocynthis (℔j of the Pulp) yields an Ounce and half of Caput Mortuum, which is almost all Salt. Yet allow half an Ounce of the Salt, and Earth to be wasted in filtring &c. the remaining Ounce is no less than 1/16ᵗʰ part of the whole. Which is more than in any of the above named Plants, except the Sea-Scurvygrass.

CHAP. II.

Of the QUANTITIES afforded by the Parts of several Plants distinctly calcin’d.

SHALL next set down some Tryals, upon one Part of a Plant, as well Organick, as Content, separated from the rest; in answer to these supposed Queries.

Quer. 1. What Proportion doth the Lixivial Salt of the Pith or Pithy Part of a Plant, bear to that of the Fibrous, or of the Woody Part? Or whether is there a Fixed Salt always found in either of them? A sufficient Answer to which, must be built upon many Tryals. At present I shall mention only Two; one upon Starch, answerable to the Pithy Parts; the other upon Flax, consisting almost wholly of the Nervous or Towy Fibers: of the Volatile parts §. 50, 51, 52. whereof, chiefly, I have given some account in the foregoing Idea.

Of Starch, ℔j yieldeth about ℔¼ not of Ashes, but of Black Coal. For though it be exposed in a Calcining Furnace to a vehement fire, for 5 or 6 hours, which is longer then will serve to calcine most Bodies: yet would it not in the least part, be reduced to Ashes; but to the last continued (though the fierceness of the Fire consumed part of it) as black, as when it was first burnt. So strangely was the remaining part of the Sulphur fixed to the Earth; that in flying away, it did volatilize and carry that away with it. In this Coal or Cinder, there is not the least of a Lixivial or other Taste. And although, upon Tryal I find, That the Pith of many Plants, as of a Cabbage Stalk, will yield some quantity of Lixivial Salt; yet it is probably, that generally, it yields less than the Wood.

Of Flax, ℔j yields not above 50 Grains of Caput Mortuum or white Ashes, which are Salt. According to vulgar conceit, it would seem to be a very dry Body: yet of 153 parts, 152 are volatile, and being distilled would have been collected into Liquor. Hence also appears the great and unexpected Variety in the Proportion of the Earthy Parts, as well as the other Principles of Bodies. Or else, that there are divers kinds of Earths, even in Plants, of which, as well as of Salts &c. some are volatile. For of ℔j of this Plant, there remaineth fixed but 50 Grains: whereas of ℔j of Rhubarb, there will remain near 1920 Grains, i. e. 88 times as much as the former.

Quer. 2. In what proportion is the Lixivial Salt found in the Gumms of Plants? and whether is it yielded, more or less, by all? For answer to which, I caused the Eleven following, of each two Ounces, to be calcin’d, and so observed,

That Common Rosin, yields but one Grain and ½ of Caput Mortuum. So that ℔j will yield but 12 Grains. In this Caput Mort. there is not the least particle of Salt, it being altogether insipid.

Mastick yields gr. 12 of Cap. Mort. But not the least part of Salt. Of this Rosin, it is observable; That being set, in a Crucible, within the fire, before it comes to have thick fumes, it boyls up with a very great foame or froath; and is the only Gum or Rosin (of the Eleven) that hath this property. So that I suspect, there is a great quantity of some kind of volatile Spirit, which then flies away; and so, in breaking through the Oyly parts, huffs them up to so great a froath.

Olibanum yields half a Drachm of Caput Mortuum. But it is to be noted, That the weight is encreased by certain little Spar-Stones, which in the burning of several parcels, I always found mixed with this Gumm. These being picked clean out, the Cap. Mort. weigheth not much more than that of Mastick. And is in like manner insipid, when the said Stones are picked out.

From hence it appears, how proper these Gums are for the Concoction of Salt Rheums; Discourse of Mixture Cap. Ult. according to what I have formerly suggested from another Experiment.

It may also be noted, that Rosin and Mastick, seem to be more purely Acidoleous Gums; not only from their consistence which is uniform; and their Smell, which is less strong and more pleasant: but also from the Acid Liquor they yield by Distillation; and in that the young Leavs of Fir, and especially of Pine, are sower; and ’tis probable that those of Mastick are so likewise. Whereby these, and other like Gums are more especially fitted for the abovesaid purpose. But Olibanum seems, besides its Acidity, to contein some Volatile Alkaly, and so to be an Acid-Alkaline Gum. For as it hath a stronger Smell than the former, so a hotter Taste; both the ordinary effects of an Alkaline Sulphur. And being infused in several Menstruums, appears to consist of two Bodies, one of them more Resinous than the other. Of which, it is probable, that the one is made by the Acid parts as the other by the Alkaline. Whereby it is very well adapted in some Cases, as in a Pleuresie, for removing the Coagulations of the Blood, or its disposition thereunto.

Asa fœtida yields no less than half its weight or an Ounce of Caput Mort. that is 8 times as much as that of the other Gumms, and 48 times as much as that of some of them. Yet doth it not contein one grain of Salt, so far as can be judged by its Tast. Yet the Strength and Loathsomness of the Smell and Tast of the Gumm do argue it to be highly impregnated with some kind of Volatile Alkaly proper to arrest those offensive Vapours (to use the vulgar word) which flying, either by the Blood or Nerves, from part to part, do often prove so troublesome.

Gum Arabick yields one Scruple of Cap. Mort. whereof, by the Taste, about ⅓ᵈ part is Salt.

Euphorbium yields one Drachm of Caput Mort. of which, by the strength of the Taste, two Scruples seem to be Salt. Which confirms a former conjecture⁠[78] of its being an Alkaline Gumm.

Myrrh also yields a Drachm of Cap. Mort. and at least two Scruples of Salt. Of the Eleven, these two Gums have the greatest quantity of a fixed Alkaly.

Opium yields half a Drachm of Cap. Mort. whereof the one half is Salt.

Aloe yields a Drachm of Cap. Mort. conteining about one Scruple of Salt.

Scammony yields Two Scruples of Cap. Mort. of which, about half a Scruple is Salt.

Gutta Gamba yields but half a Scruple of Cap. Mort. of which four or five Grains are Salt.

So that considering the Dose of any Cathartick Gumm, the quantity of the Fixed Alkaly, is extream small with respect to the Volatile parts: In which, therefore, its Cathartick Power doth chiefly reside.

Yet none of the Cathartick Gumms are without some portion, more or less, of a Fixed Alkaly; though some of the rest are. Which seemeth to prove, That the Fixed it self, hath some Interest in the business of Purgation: as by being a Clog to the Volatile, and so preventing its being deleterious; or some other way. But the manner of their Operation will better be understood, when the Volatile Parts have likewise been examined.

It may also be of good import, to know, what different quantities of Salt, are afforded by the Tartars of all sorts of Wines. Whereby, partly, as well as by the quantity of the Tartar, we may be enabled the better to judge of the Nature of Wines.