Society of AntlquarUs, • Y% 



that tbc vulgar prejudice against it should be instantly re- 

 tiu),ved bv everv ralional ai^d practicable means, as injurious 

 to the coninierce and prDsperiiy of the kingdom. 



In the pr(^cess of manuiaciurinir, he observed that in the 

 Nonh of Scotland, where the lire to the pans is allowed to be- 

 come low by neglect on Sundays, a species of very strong salt 

 has been produced in consequence, which has obtained the 

 name of " Sunday sail," which he ihinks even more pow- 

 erful than any foreign salt. The cause of this superiority 

 he atiril)utes to the slowness of evaporation, which make* 

 the grain of the salt larger. Large-grained ?alt is best for 

 curing dry meat, as it dissolves more gradually, and always 

 afibrdmg fresh supplies of saline moisture; small-grained, 

 on the contrary, is best for making brine. The decrepita- 

 tion of all salt Dr. 11. found nearly alike ; the water of 

 crystallization being ni very small quantities, not exec, ding 

 two or three percent, in salt dried at the usual temjrerature 

 of :212. The fipccific gravity is i^lso vitry little ditlereni ; 

 that of St. Ubes was 1^-08, while the British varied from 

 20-23 to 20- 88. 



In concludn?g, the author related some of the tedious and 

 complex operations which he adopted in these researches, 

 in order to ascertain the relative and constituent principles 

 of the various kinds of common salt. Luna cornea, or 

 muriate ol" silver, was one of his principal tests ; but tke 

 experiments to detect the sulphates of magnesia ai:d of lime 

 were tedious and complex, especially in ascertaining the 

 presence of an annnoniacal sulphate of magnesia. Among 

 many other curious exj)eriments by this- able operator, he 

 ascertained the cowprzr/Y'i/i/j/of sulj;hate of soda andsulphate 

 of magnesia in the same liquid, contrary to the chemicai 

 axiom laid down by Mr. Kirwan. it was iu)t, however, 

 till after two days digesting that a very small quantity of 

 these salts was found to be partially unned, and from this 

 experiment the author does not seem disposed to question 

 the truth or utility of Mr. Kirwan's pos.iion in regaul. to 

 ^alls in their natural slate. 



SOCIETV OF ANTiaUARIES. 



Some curious particulars respecting the former perquisites 

 at the Board of Green Cloth, and the conduct of Sir Gil- 

 bert 'I'albot, keeper of the king's plate during the reign of 

 Wilham II f., were read. The only useful facts which thi^j 

 paper established were, that in iormeras well as the present 

 times, avarice, intrigue, violent passions, and love of places 

 arid perqui>sites prevailed. 



