51�Թ�

The antimonial method would have an advantage over nitric acid separation, in that high-grade bullion could be treated direct without artificial decrease of fineness required by inquartation to about .250 fine, with the consequent incidental losses of silver involved.

If our conclusions are correct that the first of these began to appear at about 1510, then they give the first description of inquartation.

It used to be called “quartation” or “inquartation,” from the fact that the alloy best suited for the operation of refining contained 3 parts of silver to 1 of gold.

The operation by which the alloy is brought to this standard is termed quartation or inquartation, and consists in fusing the alloy in a cupel with lead and the quantity of fine silver or fine gold necessary to bring it to the desired composition.

It has the further advantage, that, if the quantity of silver necessary for inquartation is known, the right quantity may be added here, so as to save a subsequent operation.