of Sea Water, fcff. 43 
by a fubfequent procefs, the purging bitter fait, 
commonly named Epfom fait, is obtained. By 
this reparation, the fea or bay fait is rendered 
much better adapted for the prefervation of ani¬ 
mal fubftances, than the fait of the rocks and 
fprings in Chelhire and Worcefterlhire, where, 
frorrnvhat 1 apprehend, to be a miftaken notion, 
that this bittern does not exift in the brine, tne 
liquor is fo haftily evaporated, that the cryftals 
of common fait retain much of the magnefian 
fait among them. For the magnefian fait is 
highly feptic, and greatly impairs the properties 
of the other, * 
The two methods which occurred to me, as 
likely to anfwer the willies of my friend, were, 
ift. the addition of quicklime, and idly, that of 
common fait. To the trial of the former I was 
induced by its known antifeptic effeds on com¬ 
mon water; and, it is afcertained, that a nnall 
portion of common fait promotes, whereas 4 
larger retards, putrefaction. 
EXPERIMENT I. 
To one quart of fea water were added two 
fcruples of frelh quicklime * to another, half an 
* At fome of the works at Northwich, the evaporation is 
carried on, in fo gentle a manner, that large cubical cryftal, 
are formed ; and the fait thus prepared is faid to be equal in 
Jlrength to bay fait. 
ounce 
