On the Alkalies of Commerce. 217 



On the other hand, I have in my experiments sometimes 

 met with extranrdinarv degrees in point ol" strength, such as 

 pearlashes at 60°; American potashes of the first sort at 7G°; 

 and even these potashes, marked second sort, at 6Q'' , and, 

 lastly, pieces of natron at GO". These last had probahly been 

 deprived of all water of crystallization. 



Great Utility of a Method of Graduation for the Alkalies 

 of Commerce. 



It results from the preceding observations, that not only 

 the consumer of the alkalies of conmierce has hitherto only 

 had very precarious methods of estimating comparatively the 

 real pecuniary value of what he buys, but also that he is ex- 

 posed to verv troublesome inequalities in the result of hi-; 

 operations, if he employs, as almost always happens, the 

 good and the bad conmiodiiics in equal doses. Whether 

 a dyer, for instance, employs soda at 30° or at I o°, he will 

 be equally exposed to fail in his operations, and consequently 

 to experience great losses, either from his alkali being weaker 

 or stronger than usual. 



On extending these reflections, we see that all the arts 

 which require the consumption of alkalies would consequently 

 receive a great benefit from the happy innovation which 

 would be produced in this branch of commerce, if, on the 

 one hand, potashes, sodas, and natron, should become con- 

 stantly homogeneous in the same cask, which would bear a 

 mark indicating its alkaline strength ; and if, on the other 

 hand, we could announce in the prices current that such an 

 alkali, of a certain alkali-metrical degree, costs so much the 

 cwt. It will be very difficult, however, to obtain these 

 happy effects ; they will be produced by the spirit of the 

 first trader who shall see the good effects of it. We may 

 conceive, in fact, what advantage a dealer in this article 

 would have over his neighbours, who could say to his cus- 

 tomers, — " I offer you graduated ))0tash, graduated soda, 

 jrraduatcd salt of soda, and graduated natron, at such and 

 sucli prices and alkali-nietrical degrees. You have now in 

 your possession an instrument with which you may, without 

 chemical knowledge apd without calculations, try or cause 

 Q^l to 



