146 OBSERVATIONS on the 



I find on experiment that carbonate of foda thrown 

 into ocean water, immediately renders it turbid, the lime 

 and magneiia inllantly turning milky ©n their dilengage- 

 ment from their refpedtive portions of acid. To make 

 the water fit for wafhing, fo much foda mufl: be added 

 as not only to effect a complete precipitation of thefe 

 earths, but to render the water fufficiently lixivial or 

 alkaline. It will then exert its detergent and purifying 

 powers. 



Having entertained doubts at firfl:, whether the water 

 ought not to be decanted off after the lime and magnefia 

 had fettled to the bottom, or whether it would not re- 

 quire firaining or filtering to render it fit for ufe, I con- 

 vinced myfelf by experiment that foul linen could be 

 rendered clean and white by being waflied in alkalized 

 ocean water which contained its whole quantity of pre- 

 cipitated earth diffufed through it. 1 rather think the 

 fmall quantity of thofe impalpable and white particles 

 which adhere to the linen worn upon the body will be 

 advantageous and wholefome, as the fhirts and other 

 garments will thereby be enabled to neutralize a portion 

 of the acid and oftentimes noxious matter formed from 

 the fweat and other excretions of the fkin, &c. Thus 

 they will be rather ferviceable than otherwife, and as 

 both are in their carbonated fl:ate (having borrowed fixed 

 air from the foda) they cannot do any harm. 



The general inferences from the whole of the preceding 

 reafoning are thefe : i. Alkaline fubftances, fuch as mag- 

 nefia and more powerfully lime and foda, are plentifully 

 diftributed through the ocean, to keep it from becoming 

 foul, unhealthy and uninhabitable, which doubtlefs would 

 be the cafe if the fulphuric, feptic and muriatic acids 

 abounding in it were not neutralized. 2. Where either 

 of thefe acids is but imperfedly faturated, as happens 

 when they are united to magnefia and lime, they decom- 

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