Dr. Schweitzer's Analysis of the Chalk of Brighton. 379 



President. — Thos. Graham, Esq. Vice-Presidents. — William Thos. 

 Brande, Esq. ; John Thos. Cooper, Esq. ; Michael Faraday, Esq., 

 D.C.L. ; Richard Phillips, Esq. Treasurer. — Arthur Aikin, Esq. 

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The laws of the Society, as drawn up by the Council, were sub- 

 mitted to the meeting, and having been read and discussed, were 

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April 5. — The following communications were read : — 



Extract from a letter from Wm. H. Miller, Esq., Professor of Mi- 

 neralogy in the University of Cambridge. 



" I regret that my engagements in Cambridge have prevented my 

 being present at the meeting of the Chemical Society, especially as 

 I was desirous of offering my services in determining the form of any 

 crystalline products that may present themselves to chemists who 

 are engaged in original researches. Also, in return, I might make 

 bold to ask some members of the Society to supply me with certain 

 objects of crystallographic and optical research from their laborato- 

 ries." 



" On the Analysis of the Chalk of the Brighton Cliffs," by Dr. 

 Edw. G. Schweitzer. 



My attention was directed to the soil of this neighbourhood, for 

 the purpose of ascertaining if the chalk contains any ingredient pe- 

 culiarly favourable to the growth of Gramineae, in consequence of 

 the well-known fact, that the herbage of the South Downs, along 

 the coast of Sussex, affords a superior food for cattle, producing meat 

 of excellent quality, for which these Downs are justly celebrated. 

 The result of my analysis substantiates the presence of phosphate of 

 lime, an ingredient valuable for the nutrition of plants. The chalk 

 is composed of the following substances in 100 parts: — 



10000 



To ascertain the quantity of, phosphoric acid, I followed Dr. 

 Schulze's method (Journal fiir prakt. Chemie, xxi. S. 387-389), 

 which he recommends for the analytical investigation of soils. 

 Finding it useful and correct, I subjoin an extract from his treatise. 

 The process is based upon the fact, that phosphate of lime and 

 phosphate of magnesia are soluble in acetic acid, while the phos- 

 phate of peroxide of iron and phosphate of alumina are not so. 



2C2 



