tien 
vegetable alkali, to which if we add 17 grains of infoluble earth, 
we fhall find that the remainder of the ounce, namely, 334 
grains, confifted of neutral falts; namely, digeftive falt, and 
perhaps tartar vitriolate, im {mall quantity. To prove the 
exiftence of thefe I faturated an ounce! of the folution of this 
refined afh with the nitrous acid, and then dropped into it the 
nitrous folution of filver; this latter was immediately precipitated 
in a curdy form, which as: the alkaline part was faturated could 
proceed only from the marine acid contained in the digeftive 
falt. 
In the report of the committee of the houfe of commons, 
dated April 1788, Mr. CLarke delivers an account of his method 
of manufactiring this falt. He mixes five parts weed or wood 
afhes with one part quick lime, and fuffers them to lie together 
in a heap for fix, nine or twelve months, and then extracts a 
ley from them which he evaporates to drynefs. By fuffering 
the lime and afhes to ftand together for fo many months, he 
imagines that the common falt contained in the afhes is de- 
compofed, and the quantity of alkali thus increafed ; but though 
it is poflible to decompofe common falt by quick lime, as Mr. 
Scueece has fhewn, yet this decompofition is effected by a very 
different management; and if in the firft part of Mr. CLarKe’s 
procefs fuch a decompofition were obtained, a recompofition 
would fpeedily be cfleétedin the fecond part of his procefs ; 
for fuppofing the marine acid to quit its alkaline bafis and unite 
to the lime, yet when the alkaline fait and marine felenite are both . 
drawn off into: thé ley, the alkali immediately decompofes. the 
marine felenite and reunites to its acid, according to the well 
He known 
