Vegetable Substances, upon which Acid, Urinous, and Alcalizate Salts have the like Operations to those recited in those two Experiments.  For Ripe Privet Berries (for instance) being crush’d upon White Paper, though they stain it with a Purplish Colour, yet if we let fall on some part of it two or three drops of Spirit of Salt, and on the other part a little more of the Strong Solution of Pot-ashes, the former Liquor immediately turn’d that part of the Thick juice or Pulp, on which it fell, into a lovely Red, and the latter turn’d the other part of it into a delightfull Green.  Though I will not undertake, that those Colours in that Substance shall not be much more Orient, than Lasting; and though (Pyrophilus) this Experiment may seem to be almost the same with those already deliver’d concerning Syrrup of Violets, and the Juice of Blew-bottles, yet I think it not amiss to take this Occasion to inform you, that this Experiment reaches much farther, than perhaps you yet imagine, and may be of good Use to those, whom it concerns to know, how Dying Stuffs may be wrought upon by Saline Liquors.  For, I have found this Experiment to succeed in so many Various Berries, Flowers, Blossoms, and other finer Parts of Vegetables, that neither my Memory, nor my Leisure serves me to enumerate them.  And it is somewhat surprizing to see, by how Differingly-colour’d Flowers, or Blossoms, (for example) the Paper being stain’d, will by an Acid Spirit be immediately turn’d Red, and by any Alcaly or any Urinous Spirit turn’d Green; insomuch that ev’n the crush’d Blossoms of Meserion, (which I gather’d in Winter and frosty Weather) and those of Pease, crush’d upon White Paper, how remote soever their Colours be from Green, would in a moment pass into a deep Degree of that Colour, upon the Touch of an Alcalizate Liquor.  To which let us add, That either of those new Pigments (if I may so call them) may by the Affusion of enough of a contrary Liquor, be presently chang’d from Red into Green, and from Green into Red, which Observation will hold also in Syrrup of Violets, Juices of Blew-bottles, &c.

Annotation.

After what I have formerly deliver’d to evince, That there are many Instances, wherein new Colours are produc’d or acquir’d by Bodies, which Chymists are wont to think destitute of Salt, or to whose change of Colours no new Accession of Saline Particles does appear to contribute, I think we may safely enough acknowledge, that we have taken notice of so many Changes made by the Intervention of Salts in the Colours of Mix’d Bodies, that it has lessen’d our Wonder, That though many Chymists are wont to ascribe the Colours of Such Bodies to their Sulphureous, and the rest to their Mercurial Principle; yet Paracelsus himself directs us in the Indagation of Colours, to have an Eye principally upon Salts, as we find in that passage of his, wherein he takes upon him to Oblige his Readers