f time, and expences out of their own Purses for the publick good
only. Now since the Chymical Oyls, by reason of their great prices are
most of them adulterated, and very few of them right good, and that
nothing hath been published on this matter, and to leave the buyers of
them unexcusable, I shall here add briefly, yet sufficiently the ways
to discover these Cheats. First for sweet-scented Chymical Oyls, viz.
those of Cloves, Cinnamon and Sassaphras. Only drop a little of them
into fair water, and that part which is true good will sink under the
water, but the adulterated part will swim on the top of it. Some
others draw deep tinctures from the said Spices with Spirit of Wine
highly rectified, and sell them for the Oyls; but these mix with the
water throughout, neither swimming, nor sinking. Others more craftily
digest with the said tinctures some of the true Oyls, which compound
being put into water, will for a time render it white. Another way of
sophisticating is with Oyl of Turpentine mixed in great quantity with
that which is adulterated; You may easily discover the Oyl of
Turpentine, by setting it on fire, for it yields abundance of
ill-scented smoak, with very little savour of the Herb, Flour, or
Seed, &c. and soon takes fire. To correct the ill smell of the
Turpentine, they digest it with, and distil it off with Spirit of
Wine. Those sophisticated with Turpentine, fired in a Silver Spoon
colour it, and quickly diffuse themselves upon a Knife, or Paper. The
best way to try by firing, is to put a drop or two of these Oyls on
the end of a broad pointed Knife, which being first heated, and then
thrust into a lighted Candle, presently take fire, and break out into
a flame with much dark smoak; but if you will try them in a Spoon,
heat it first over a Candle, and then blow the flame of lighted paper,
or of a Wax Candle on them. To try the scent, blow out the flame of
the good Oyls, and your smell will soon discover the ill scent of the
Turpentine from that of the good Oyl. But on the contrary, all Oyls
drawn from Plants by distillation hardly flame, and the flame soon
goes out, and the smoak gives a full flavour of the Plant it self,
whereas those sophisticated as before, differ from the true in both.
The same Oyls are also sophisticated with cheap ones drawn from
decayed Oringes, and Limons; Your smell on firing will soon discover
these mixtures. A third way of sophisticating Chymical Oyls is, by
mixing with them s