Analyses of Books. 65 



mineral kingdom consists, not of a multitude of heterogeneous bodies, 

 heaped together without any method, but that each mineral species 

 which is met with on our globe, is formed of elements definitely com- 

 bined ; and that a cabinet of minerals ought to constitute part of 

 every chemical museum, as essentially, as soluble and other salts 

 which were formerly considered as distinct from tbe mineral king- 

 dom. This was easily proved, in reference to more simple minerals, 

 whose elements were found to exist, combined in atomic proportions, 

 both in artificial and natural salts. Thus, the atomic weights of 

 sulphuric acid and lime being determined when entering into the 

 composition of what were at first ascertained to be atomic compounds, 

 it was but reasonable, on the occurrence of these bodies in a native 

 state, to assign to their ultimate particles the same atomic weights. 

 Accordingly, sulphate of lime has been found abundantly in a native 

 state, in two states, — first, as Cal SI + 2 Aq, and second, as Cal SI. 

 In both of these instances the atomic weights of the sulphuric acid 

 and lime were precisely the same as in the more familiar salts, sul- 

 phate of soda, muriate of lime, &c. Having ascertained that this 

 held good in regard to one or more minerals, chemists were induced 

 to extend their researches over the field of nature. They gradually 

 discovered that some bodies possess actions which they would have 

 long looked for in vain, if they had neglected this delightful and 

 varied field of investigation. They found that a mineral termed 

 Table Spar, afforded, by the analysis of eight different specimens 

 from different localities, always, the same quantities of silica and 

 alumina, — about 51 parts of the former, and 45 of the latter. 

 Another mineral, Picrosmine, gave by analysis, 56 parts silica and 

 86 magnesia. What, then, were the legitimate deductions to be 

 drawn from these analyses ? Was it not correct to say that the 

 silica acted the part of acid to the lime and manganese, as did the 

 sulphuric acid in the instances previously alluded to ? Hence the 

 formulae for table spar and picrosmine, it has been inferred, are Cal 

 S 2 andMgS 2 . The discovery that silica acted as an acid, in 

 simple combinations, was sufficient to entitle chemists to conclude 

 that this important body continued to preserve its power of action in 

 more intricate compounds, where several bases presented themselves, 

 upon which it might exercise its agency. If, in the case of the table 

 spar, an atom of iron had been present, we should have had Cal. S 

 + FS ; the formula would have been extended ; the composition 

 would have been somewhat more intricate ; and, if we had a third 

 atom of silica, as in tersilicate of lime, we might have had a third 

 base united with the third atom of acid. And all this with as much 

 propriety as there is in representing the composition of the more 

 familiar salt, alum, by K SI. + 3 Al SI. + 25 Aq. 



To those who have occupied themselves with the important study 

 of the mineral kingdom, we know that these observations are quite 

 superfluous ; but they may properly be urged in answer to such as 

 term the analysis of stones (as they sneeringly designate the labours 

 of the analyst) an abuse of the atomic theory ; and they are pecu- 

 liarly applicable in turning our attention to the new work on mine- 



VOL III. F 



