Vitriol, blue white

The vitriols, blue, green, and white, were especially important because it was from them that vitriolic acid was prepared. The natural vitriols, copper, iron, and zinc sulfates respectively, were so named presumably because of the glassy surfaces of their crystals (from the Latin vitreus like glass ). 

The preparation of green vitriol (ferrous sulphate) from roasted pyrites is described there are three kinds of vitriol, blue (from Cyprus or Hungary, copper sulphate), green (from Spa, etc., ferrous sulphate), and white, sold in small cakes and called in France white copperas (couperose blanche) and used as an eye-lotion (zinc vitriol or zinc sulphate) the best is green vitriol, the blue,... 

Gallzenstein, Galitzenstein, m. white vitriol (zinc sulfate) (blauer) blue vitriol, gallzisch, a. Galician, gallabtreibend, a. cholagog. 

It must be borne in mind when reviewing the theories of the alchemists, that there were a number of phenomena known at the time, the superficial examination of which would naturally engender a belief that the transmutation of the metals was a common occurrence. For example, the deposition of copper on iron when immersed in a solution of a copper salt e.g., blue vitriol) was naturally concluded to be a transmutation of iron into copper, although, had the alchemists examined the residual liquid, they would have found that the two metals had merely exchanged places and the fact that white and yellow alloys of copper with arsenic and other substances could be produced, pointed to the possibility of transmuting copper into silver and gold. It was also known that if water (and this is tme of distilled water which does not contain solid matter in solution) was boiled for some time in a glass flask, some solid, earthy matter was produced and if water could be transmuted into earth, surely one metal could be... 

Oxides of Copper—red oxide of copper—Cu, 0—is prepared by heating one hundred parts of blue vitriol with fifty-seven parts of carbonate of soda until the water of crystallization Is expelled. The rosiduum is afterwards mixed with twenty-five parts of copper filings, and the mixture finely stamped into a crucible. It iB then exposed to a white boat for about twenty minutes, and after cooling and pulverization, the mass is well washed with water. ThiB process yields about fifty parts of fine colored red oxide of copper. 

A second example illustrates the ability of transition metals to form complexes with small molecules and ions. Copper metal and hot concentrated sulfuric acid ( oil of vitriol ) react to form solid copper(II) sulfate, commonly called blue vitriol by virtue of its deep blue color. There is more to this compound than copper and sulfate, however it contains water as well. When the water is driven away by heating, the blue color vanishes, leaving greenish white anhydrous copper(II) sulfate (Fig. 8.11). The blue color of blue vitriol comes from a... 

Many substances, on assuming the crystalline form, combine with a certain amount of water which exists in the crystal in a solid combination. Thus nearly half of the weight of crystallized alum is water. This water is called water of crystallization, and is necessary to the maintenance of the crystalline form, and frequently to the color. If blue vitriol be heated, it loses its water of crystallization, and is converted into an amorphous, white powder. Some crystals lose their water of crystallization on mere exposure to the air. They are then said to efifioresce. Usually, however, they only lose their water of crystallization when heated. (See p. 66.)... 

Ruft of iron, filings of iron, fait of Heel, fal martis, blue vitriol, white vitriol, calomel, emetic tartar, fugar of lead, white arfenic. 

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