I. 



PAPERS OF THE PHYSICAL CLASS. 



I. Account of a Mineral //-om Strontian, and of a pe- 

 culiar Species of Earth which it contains. By Thomas 

 Charles Hope, M. D. F, R. S. Edin. Profejfor of Medicine 

 in the Uhiverfity of Glafgow, and Fhyfician to the Glafgow Royal 

 Infirmary. 



{Read Nov. 4. 1793.] 



THE mineral, of which I have the honour to lay an ac- 

 count before the Society, was brought to Edinburgh in 

 confiderable quantity about fix years ago by a dealer in foffils, 

 though indeed it had found its way, long before this period, 

 into one or two colledlions. 



By fotne it was niiftaken for fluor. Its great fpecific gravity, 

 its fibrous appearance, and its quality of forming an infoluble 

 fubftance with fulphuric acid, made it generally be received as 

 the native carbonate of barytes. From a few experiments, I 

 was led at that time to entertain fome doubt of its being any 

 form of barytes ; and for feveral years, when I filled the che- 

 mical chair in the Univerfity of Glafgow, I ufed, when I exhi- 

 bited the mineral itfelf, to mention in my letflures fuch of its 

 properties asl had difcovered, and which indicated that it did. 

 not belong to the barytic genus. Towards the end of the year 



A 2 1791, 



