And therefore before any Thing is said of it's Virtues as a
Medicine, it may not be improper to explain the Nature of it, and
enumerate a few of it's remarkable Properties, considered as a
Curiosity in Chemistry, in which Light chiefly it has hitherto
been view'd by those who have been acquainted with it.

It is a kind of ETHEREAL OIL, produced by the Decomposition of the
Vinous Spirit by Means of the Vitriolic Acid, and differs
essentially both from Vinous Spirits and Essential Oils in several
Respects, tho' it agrees with them in some, as will appear
hereafter: But as the Vinous Spirit may be decomposed by means of
all the three Mineral Acids, _viz._ the _Vitriolic_, the _Nitrous_
and the _Marine_, and as these all act differently on the Spirit,
they will, of Course, produce three different Kinds of AETHER,
which, from the Name, of the Acid employ'd in making them, are
term'd _Marine, Nitrous_, or _Vitriolic_: the last only is the
Kind here understood, it's Properties being more singular and
extraordinary, and, as an AETHER, more perfect than either of the
others; the Reason of which seems to be, that the _Vitriolic Acid_
is a much stronger Agent on the Spirit, and more perfectly
decomposes it, than either the _Nitrous_ or _Marine_.

It is the most light, most volatile, and most inflammable, of all
known Liquids: It swims upon the highest rectified Spirit of Wine
as Oil does upon Water, and flies away so quickly as hardly to wet
a Hand it is dropped upon; from which Properties it probably has
obtained it's Name. It is so readily inflammable, as to take Fire
at the approach of a Candle, before the Flame touches it. Any
Electrified Body will also produce the same Effect.

It is one of the most powerful Solvents known in Chemistry: It is
neither _acid_ nor _alcaline_, and therefore is perfectly free
from that saline Acrimony with which all the common Volatile
Spirits abound: It has a greater Affinity with Gold than _Aqua
Regia_ has, altho' it will not dissolve it in the Mass, or whilst
in it's Metallic Form; but if you add AETHER to a solution of Gold
in Aqua Regia, it presently takes all the Gold from it's former
Solvent, keeping it perfectly dissolved and suspended, without the
least Precipitation; and becomes of a yellow Colour: The AETHER,
thus saturated with the Gold, does not mix with the Aqua Regia,
but may readily be separated from it by simple Decantation, and
thus a true and safe _Aurum potabile_ is readily