Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles, 4-05 



tion of wood-ashes, just as soda artificially extracted from sea-salt 

 has been long and advantageously substituted for that obtained from 

 marine plants. 



When the petrifaction of shells which occurs at present in the 

 Ocean is considered, it excites no surprise that the proportion of lime 

 is double that of the potash. In fact, 100 grammes of the water of 

 the Mediterranean contain 0-623 gr. of lime, and the proportion 

 contained in the Ocean, according to Figuier and Mialhe, is still 

 larger. The carbonate exists in the Mediterranean in sufficient 

 quantity to form considerable masses of shell-limestone analogous to 

 those of the tertiary formation, and to be substituted for that which 

 composed the shells in their fresh state. This new calcareous mat- 

 ter produces also true petrifactions, analogous to those of the geolo- 

 gical sera. 



One hundred grammes of the water of the Mediterranean contain 

 2"914 grs. of chloride of sodium, that is to say, nearly three hun- 

 dredths ; the next most abundant salt is the chloride of magnesium, 

 of which 100 grammes contain 0*3219 gr. ; whilst the sulphate of 

 magnesia amounts to 0*2477 gr.,and the sulphate of lime to 0*1357gr. 



The large quantity of sulphate of lime which the concentration 

 of the water of the Mediterranean precipitates in the salt marshes 

 would induce the belief that this salt existed in larger quantity ; and 

 if analysis does not show a larger proportion, it must not be for- 

 gotten that the mother- waters of the salt-works are frequently re- 

 newed. On this account it will be readily conceived, that after a 

 certain time this salt may be deposited to a considerable extent. 



Vegetables and animals contain considerable proportions of iodine, 

 and yet the latest analyses do not indicate its existence either in the 

 Ocean or the Mediterranean. It cannot, however, be inferred that 

 these beings have the power of forming it ; it follows only that the 

 absorbent organs of vegetables and animals are more delicate and 

 perfect than our best methods of analysis. The quantity of bromine 

 found in sea- water prevents the detection of iodine ; the production 

 of the blue colour with starch may be effected or prevented, at plea- 

 sure, by repeatedly adding to a liquid an iodide or bromide : iodine 

 cannot therefore be detected in sea- water while it contains bromine. 



In a second memoir, M. Uziglio has examined the results of the 

 evaporation of the water of the Mediterranean at different degrees 

 of the areometer, and those of its analyses at different temperatures. 

 He has given the result of his experiments on the deposits of salts 

 comparatively with the thermometer and areometer ; these tabu- 

 lated results, however useful to the manufacturer, are not susceptible 

 of analysis. 



M. Uziglio has given a table (which is capable of being advan- 

 tageously extended for the use of the manufacturer) of the different 

 saline deposits obtained at different densities. The tables which 

 precede it show that the progress of the continual evaporation of 

 the water, in the salt-works, is identical till the density reaches 25°, 

 and is pretty well maintained up to 30° ; but beyond this, and when 

 approaching 35°, the difference between day and night complicates 



