287 
Dr. Apjohn read a paper on the Analysis of the Water 
of the Dead Sea. 
After some general remarks upon the geographical posi- 
tion, extent, and depth of the Dead Sea, the geological 
structure of the surrounding country, and the different 
statements handed down by the older historians, and to a 
certain extent corroborated by modern travellers, in refe- 
rence to the excessive density of its waters, and the absence 
from them of living things, both animal and vegetable, Dr. Ap- ° 
john gave a historical sketch of the analytical researches, in 
reference to this water, of Lavoisier, Marcet, and Klaproth. 
The specimen which he examined, he stated to have been 
recently brought to this country by George James Knox, 
Esq., from Syria, and to have been committed to him for 
analysis by the Rev. Thomas Knox, both members of the 
Academy, and authors of valuable scientific communica- 
tions, read at our meetings, or published in our Transactions. 
A number of experiments were now detailed, having for 
their object to determine the nature of the saline consti- 
tuents of the water, and illustrate its composition and pro- 
perties. Its specific gravity was set down as 1153, and its 
boiling point as 221°. Its contained salts were enumerated 
as sulphate of lime, chloride of calcium, chloride of magne- 
sium, bromide of magnesium, chloride of potassium, chloride 
of sodium, chloride of manganese, and sulphate of lime; the 
chloride of potassium and manganese, and the bromide of 
magnesium having, as he thought, up to the time of the 
completion of his analysis, been first detected by himself. 
It held in solution an unusually small amount of air. 
The following is an outline of the method of analysis 
employed. 
To approximate to the quantity of saline matter, a 
known weight of the water was evaporated to dryness, and 
finally heated to about 400°. The residuum amounted to 
_ 18.91 per cent. 
2B2 
“a 
