in general, the art of purifying a thing; including not only the effaying or refining of metals, but likewise the depuration or clarification of liquors. See Clarification; and Pharmacy, under Materia Medica; and Ores, Reduction of.

Gold and silver may be refined by several methods, which are all founded on the essential properties of these metals, and acquire different names according to their kinds. Thus, for instance, gold having the property which no other metal, nor even silver, has of resisting the action of sulphur, of antimony, of nitrous acid, or marine acid, may be purified by these agents from all other metallic substances, and consequently may be refined. These operations are distinguished by proper names, as purification of gold by antimony, parting, concentrated parting, dry parting. The term refining is chiefly applied to the purification of gold and silver by lead in the cupel. See Ores, Reduction of.