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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Was written:</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>Antimony and/or arsenic may well have been added as hardening agents, or as
unremovable impurites, depending on where the ore itself came from. Please keep
in mind that at that time, and until fairly recently, while it was possible to
make a substance quite pure, the techniques for extreme purification of
alloys and ores weren't developed until the use of electricity became common. In
period documents, and even up towards modern times, there are often comments
made about specific ores from specific mines being better for some purposes than
others. </DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Yes my early three Volume EB has extensive
references under chemistry regarding the purification of ores of tin, copper,
silver, gold, iron etc. The original ore body for tin in the British Isles
is in Cornwall if I recall correctly, hence the "Cousin Jacks" of the
1800's from there or was it Wales? Where the copper, lead and zinc likely
came from for that English bell foundry I do not recall.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Daniel</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>