[ 4-45 ]

The platina soon engaged the attention both of phi-losophers and metallurgists, on account of its agreement,in some remarkable particulars* with gold. From thisrelation to gold, it was called by some white gold. Hencealso many people were induced to think, that it was at•bottom no other than gold, disguised by a coat of someextraneous matter; and it was hoped that means mightbe discovered of divesting it of this coat, and laying barethe gold which it was supposed to conceal. But the moreit was examined, the more did this notion seem impro-bable ; and the more grounds were found for believing,that platina is a metal of a peculiar kind, distinct in na-ture from gold, as well as from the other metals, thoughendowed with such properties, as had hitherto been sup-posed to be characteristic of gold, or to be possessed bygold alone; insomuch that this new metal was reportedto have been sometimes fraudulently mixed with gold,in considerable quantity, without being either separable,or distinguishable, by any of the common methods inwhich gold is assayed or refined.

A full examination of such a body appeared of the"utmost importance, as regarding not only the discovery ofthe various properties of the platina itself, an object suf-ficiently interesting, but likewise, what is much more so,the preventing the abuses which it was liable to giveoccasion to, and the securing the fineness and value ofthe precious metal; so that if the platina should not berendered an useful commodity, it might at least be nolonger a dangerous one.

I had begun this examination in the year 1749, butcould not then procure enough of the platina for carryingthe experiments to such a length as I aimed at; for a metalso extraordinary, entirely new, at least to this part of theworld, of which only a few general properties were

M m m 2 known,