AQUA, in natural History, Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, etc. See WATER. The Word is pure Latin, and supposed to be compounded of a and qua, q.d. from which; alluding to the Opinion that Water is the Basis or Matter of all Bodies.
Aqua fortis, is a corrosive Liquor, serving as a Menstruum wherewith to dissolve Silver, and all other Metals except Gold.
See MENSTRUUM, DISSOLUTION, METAL, etc.
Aqua fortis is made of Salt-Petre, which is the only Salt that will act on Silver.
See NITRATE, SALT-PETRE, and SILVER.
To prepare Aqua fortis, they mix either Sand or Alum, or Vitriol, or the two last together, with the Salt-Petre; then distill it by a violent Fire; and catch the Fumes, which condensing in the Receiver, are the Aqua fortis.
If some of those Matters be not added to the Nitre, it runs too readily, and thus prevents the Evaporation; but when the Fusion is prevented, the parts of the Salt receiving more violent Impressions from the Fire, are converted into a volatile Spirit. If to the Spirit of Nitre thus distilled, Sea-Salt or Sal-Ammoniac be added; it commences Aqua Regia, and will no longer dissolve Silver, but Gold. See AQUA REGIA.
Hence, to try whether or no Aqua fortis be pure; put a Grain of a Solution of Silver in Aqua fortis, into a like Quantity of the Water in question: and if the Solution remains without either the Water’s turning milky, or the Silver precipitating, the Aqua fortis is pure.
Aqua fortis is commonly held to have been invented about the Year 1300; though others will have it to been known in the Time of Avicenna. Aqua fortis is a Liquor of various and extensive Use.— Aqua fortis is very useful to Refiners for parting or separating Silver from Gold and Copper. See PARTING, REFINING, etc.
To the Workers in Mosaic, for staining and coloring their Woods. See MOSAIC. To Dyers in their Colours, and particularly Scarlet.
See DYEING, COLOUR, SCARLET, etc.
To other Artists, for the coloring of Bone and Ivory, which is done by steeping the Matters therein, after first tinging it with Copper, or Verdigris, etc. Some also turn it into Aqua Regia, by dissolving in it a fourth of its weight of Sal-Ammoniac, and then stain therewith Ivory, Hairs, and Bones, of a fine purple Colour. There are, also, Book-Binders, who throw it on Leather, and thereby make fine marble Covers for Books.
See MARGRINE; Boox-B1ND- inc, &c.
And there are Diamond-Cutters, who ufe it to feperate Diamonds from metalline Powders. See DIAMONP.
Tis, farther, of fervice in etching Copper, or BrafsPlates. See ERCUINE. Laftly, Mr. Boyle affures us he has caufed Canes to be flained like Tortoife-Shell, by a mixture hereof with Oil of Vitriol, laid on them at feveral times, over live Coals, to caufe it to penetrate the deeper 5 and, afterwards, giving them a Glofs with a little fott Wax and a dry Cloth.
Aqua Regalis, or Regia. See AQUA REGIA. It is thus called because it dissolves Gold, which is vulgarly esteemed the King of Metals.
It is sometimes also called Aqua Chrysopoeia and Aqua Stygia. Aqua Vitae, is commonly understood of what we otherwise call Brandy.
See BRANDY.
Some, however, distinguish between them; appropriating the term Brandy to what is procured from Wine, or the Grape; and Aqua Vitae to that drawn after the same manner from Malt, etc. See WINE, MALT, DISTILLATION, etc. Aqua Marina, in natural History, a Gem, or precious Stone, of a Sea-Green Colour: whence its Name.
See PRECIOUS STONE and GEM.
It is found along the Sea-Coasts; and is said to vie with the Amethyst in hardness. See AMETHYST.
Some of the Critics contend for its being the sixth Stone in the Rationale of the Jewish High Priest; called, in the Hebrew, Tarshish; and rendered in Latin, by Beryllus, Thalassius, etc. Jonathan and Onkelos call it, in the Chaldee, Tarsis, Tarshish: Though the Seventy, St. Jerome, Aquila, Pagninus, the Translators of Geneva, and Schindler render it Chrysolithus—Others will have it a Turquoise.
Leo de Juda and Hutcheson translate it Hyacinthus. Several of the Lapidaries take it for the Beryl; which coincides with the first opinion.
See BERYL.
Aqua omnium florum, in Pharmacy, signifies the distilled Water of Cow's-Dung, when they are at Grass. See WATER.
