An Analysis of Sea-water ; ^c. 91 



to hand over my Theory to him is unaccountable. Probably it 

 is because they do not perfectly understand it. 



The Atomic Theory is such that it could never originate but 

 fron) deep investigation and from a complete knowledge of che- 

 mistry. With those qualifications a man could never be guilty 

 of gross errors; but the man who borrows his ideas and attempts 

 to apply them, is liable to commit mistakes every step as he moves 

 along, like the monkey who, as we are told, in attem.pting to 

 shave himself, in imitation of his master, cuts his own throat. 

 Imitation and originality are readily distinguished. They can 

 only be confounded by partiality and prejudice, 



I am, sir, 



Your very obedient humble servant, 

 Dublin, Jan. 12, 1818. Wm. HiGGINS. 



XV. AnAnalysis of Sea-ivater ; with Ohservations on the Ana- 

 lysis of Salt-brines. By John Mdrray, M.D. F.R.S.E. 



[Concluded from p. 25.] 



JL HE question now remains for consideration, What is the real 

 composition of sea-water? How far are the salts obtained in 

 either mode of analysis, those which exist originally in solution? 

 This question is evidently to be considered under the same point 

 of view as that which I have illustrated in a former paper, with 

 regard to tiie change in the state of combination, which may be 

 produced in the saline compounds existing in mineral waters, by 

 the analytic operations to which they are subjected. We have 

 no strict evidence that the binary compoimds which are obtained 

 are those which existed in solution, admitting even the principle 

 that binary combinations exist. On the contrary, there is every 

 probability that the substances obtained are often products of 

 the operation, arising from changes of combination which it 

 established. And this is even placed in a more striking ))oint of 

 view in the present case, as the ingredients obtained are actually 

 different, when different methods of analysis are employed. It 

 is, therefore, necesssary to inquire further what the real compo- 

 sition is. 



With regard to the sulphate of lime, which is the first sub- 

 stance separated by the evaporation, the general views I have 

 already stated, give every probability to the conclusion, that it is 

 ■A product of the operation formed by the action of sulphate of 

 soda or of magnesia, during the evaporation, on muriate of 

 lime J that this last salt, therefore, is an ingredient in sea- water j 



the 



