4 6 2 Mr. Henry on the Natural Hijlory , £fr. 
formed in the ocean, another fait confifting of 
marine acid and magnefian earth, is always pro¬ 
duced, or, at lead, is always found mixed with 
thefe, and is left in the mother ley, remaining 
after their cryftallifation. It fhould feem, there¬ 
fore, highly probable, that Nature, at one and 
the fame time, fabricates from the conftituent 
parts of animal and vegetable fubftances, not 
only the alkaline and acid falts, but the mild 
and taftelefs earth of Magnefia—and that this 
earth is the refult of the decompofition of vege¬ 
tables, whofe other component parts, combining 
with animal matters with which they meet, 
and aided by the concurrence of air, water, 
and heat, conftitute the different acids and al¬ 
kalis, neceffary to the formation of Sea-Salt and 
of Nitre. * 
Meffrs. 
* M. Baume is of opinion that the conftituent parts of 
fixed alkaline fait, are calcareous earth, water, and 
phlogifton : and he afferts that he has produced this fait, 
by calcining together equal portions of powdered marble 1 , 
and the charcoal of oil of hartlliorn ; and that the quantity 
of fait was always diminifhed by a diminution of the 
inflammable matter, employed in the experiment. He 
attempts to account for the formation of faline fubftances, 
in the humid way, in the following manner. “ Les 
teftacees croiflent et periflent dans la mer. La Nature, 
par le movement des eaux, brife et reduit en poudre 
impalpable beaucoup de coquiiles de ces animaux, et met 
la terre calcaire en etat d’etre difloute par 1 ’eau. L’eau 
de 
