1 4 An Analysis of Sea- water ; 



agitation ; and the litjuor having been poured off while hot, 

 4 ounces more of the same dihited alcohol were added, heated 

 as before, and after it had become clear by subsidence, this li- 

 quor was added to the other. The greater part of the saline 

 mass, consisting chiefly of muriate of soda, was thus dissolved. 



E. The residue was submitted to the action of successive 

 (juantities of a still weaker spirit, composed of .S of alcohol, and 

 4 of water, aided by heat, with the view of dissolving the sul- 

 phate of magnesia and of soda. A solution was obtained of a 

 strong saline taste. 



F. To abstract these salts more completely, the residue was 

 lixiviated with small successive portions of warm w^ater ; a sotu-, 

 tion having a similar taste was obtained. 



G. There was left at length a powder, soft, light, tasteless, 

 and insoluble. 



It now remained to examine these products more minutely, to 

 determine their nature, and estimate precisely their quantities. 



The powder obtained in the first evaporation. A, consists, ac- 

 cording to Lavoisier, of sulphate and carbonate of lime. It 

 weighed when dry 25 grains ; it was submitted to the action 

 of a very dilute alcohol, acidulated with muriatic acid, which 

 excited effervescence ; this being poured off, and the residue be- 

 ing lixiviated, and dried, weighed 22 grains. It was sidphate 

 of lime, and absorbed water with avidity, becoming solid and 

 dry. The liquor poured oft", afforded by evaporation a saline 

 deliquescent matter, which, heated with sulphuric acid, gave 

 products equivalent to 1 '7 grain of carbonate of magnesia, and 

 1-2 grain of carbonate of lime. 



The solution B, obtained by the action of the stronger alco- 

 hol, ought to have contained, according to tlie results of Lavoi- 

 sier's analysis, muriate of magnesia and muriate of lime. A 

 small portion of it was diluted witii distilled water, and a few 

 drops of a solution of oxalate of ammonia were added, but 

 caused no precipitation, nor even any opacity. The liquor, 

 therefore, contained no muriate of lime. It was distilled to dry- 

 ness. Tlic dry matter deliquesced on exposure to the air ; be- 

 ing lixiviated with alcohol, a small portion of muriate of soda 

 remained undissolved, which was added to the solution D. The 

 liquor being evaporated so far as to be of an oily consistence, 

 afforded, on cooling, miniate of magnesia in prisms. This, 

 dried until it had no appearance of moisture, weighed 145 grains. 

 Decomposed by sulphuric acid, it afforded I05-() grains of dry 

 sulphate of magnesia, equivalent to 83*5 of real muriate. 



The solution D had a strong saline taste, and, in cooling, had 

 deposited muriate of soda in cubes on the sides of the bottle. 

 A little of it being diluted with distilled water, oxalate of am- 

 monia 



