CHAPTER III 



The Ma/nufacture of Salt from Sea-Water 



WHEN man first learned to cook his food, the 

 boiling removed a considerable proportion 

 of the salt contained in his meat and vege- 

 tables, and it became necessary for him to make up 

 the deficiency. This was usually obtained from the 

 water of the ocean or from the numerous salt springs. 

 Inland savage tribes often had to travel long dis- 

 tances to obtain their salt. Those who ran short of 

 salt obtained this necessary condiment from other 

 tribes by trading furs and other valuable materials 

 for it. Thus it is probable that salt was one of the 

 first commodities bartered by savage man. Because 

 of its value in ancient times, salt was used as a sacri- 

 ficial offering by the adherents of various religions. 

 The Jews offered it to Jehovah in covenants. That 

 good word "salary" is derived from the ancient Ro- 

 man practice of giving the soldiers as part of their 

 pay money to buy sal (salt). 



Salt is even more essential to the welfare of civ- 

 ilized man than it is to the savage. When salt is 

 mentioned, table, dairy, ice-cream, and packing- 

 house salts immediately come to mind. Many of its 

 most important uses are unknown to the average 



man. Various grades of salt are used in the makings 



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