Fourthly, that this action is perform’d with so great a violence, and does so minutely act, and rapidly agitate the smallest parts of the combustible matter, that it produces in the diaphanous medium of the Air, the action or pulse of light, which what it is, I have else-where already shewn.
Fifthly, that the dissolution of sulphureous bodies is made by a substance inherent, and mixt with the Air, that is like, if not the very same, with that which is fixt in Salt-peter, which by multitudes of Experiments that may be made with Saltpeter, will, I think, most evidently be demonstrated.
Sixthly, that in this dissolution of bodies by the Air, a certain part is united and mixt, or dissolv’d and turn’d into the Air, and made to fly up and down with it in the same manner as a metalline or other body dissolved into any menstruums, does follow the motions and progresses of that menstruum till it be precipitated.
Seventhly, That as there is one part that is dissoluble by the Air, so are there other parts with which the parts of the Air mixing and uniting, do make a Coagulum, or precipitation, as one may call it, which causes it to be separated from the Air, but this precipitate is so light, and in so small and rarify’d or porous clusters, that it is very volatil, and is easily carry’d up by the motion of the Air, though afterwards, when the heat and agitation that kept it rarify’d ceases, it easily condenses, and commixt with other indissoluble parts, it sticks and adheres to the next bodies it meets withall; and this is a certain Salt that may be extracted out of Soot.
Eighthly, that many indissoluble parts being very apt and prompt to be rarify’d, and so, whilest they continue in that heat and agitation, are lighter then the Ambient Air, are thereby thrust and carry’d upwards with great violence, and by that means carry along with them, not onely that Saline concrete I mention’d before, but many terrestrial, or indissoluble and irrarefiable parts, nay, many parts also which are dissoluble, but are not suffer’d to stay long enough in a sufficient heat to make them prompt and apt for that action. And therefore we find in Soot, not onely a part, that being continued longer in a competent heat, will be dissolv’d by the Air, or take fire and burn; but a part also which is fixt, terrestrial, and irrarefiable.
Ninthly, that as there are these several parts that will rarifie and fly, or be driven up by the heat, so are there many others, that as they are indissoluble by the aerial menstruum, so are they of such sluggish and gross parts, that they are not easily rarify’d by heat, and therefore cannot be rais’d by it; the volatility or fixtness of a body seeming to consist only in this, that the one is of a texture, or has component parts that will be easily rarify’d into the form of Air, and the other, that it has such