TO WASH BRASS OR COPPER WITH SILVER.-To half an ounce of
nitric acid in a phial, add one ounce of water, and one-fourth of an ounce of good silver. It
will soon be dissolved, and if the acid and metal are both pure, the solution (which is called
nitrate of silver) will be transparent and colourless. Add to this a solution of nearly two
drachms of muriate of soda, in any quantity of water; this will precipitate the silver in a
white opaque mass. Pour off the water with the acid, and add to the silver an equal
quantity of super-tartrate of potas, thus forming a soft paste; dip a piece of soft leather in
this paste, and rub it on the metal to be silvered; continue rubbing it till it is nearly dry;
then wash it with water, and polish by rubbing it hard with a piece of dry leather. Another
method is, to add sub-carbonate of potas to the nitrate of silver, as piece of dry leather.
Another method is, to add sub-carbonate of potas to the nitrate of silver, as ebullition
ensue; then the acid is poured off, and the precipitate (which is white at first, but becomes
green when dry) is mixed with double its quantity of muritate of soda, and super-tartrate of
potas. With this composition, being moistened, the metal is rubbed over, & c.