u ith Olservatioiis on the Analysis of SuU-hrlnes. 97 



of the action of alcohol, either as a solvent or a precipitant, are 

 so great, that analyses executed in this mode can scarcely he 

 perfectly accurate. And as it appears, if the precedinjj obser- 

 vations are just, that there is no certainty in the conclusion that 

 the products of analysis by evaporation or crystrJlization are the 

 real inq;redients, no peculiar advantage in this respect belongs to 

 this method, and just as much information is obtained by dis- 

 covering the acids and bases which exist in solution, and then 

 inferring, according to the most probable view, what the states 

 of binary combination are in which they exist. This kind of 

 analysis has the advantage, that it can be executed with mncli 

 more |)recision than the other : it is liable to fewer .sources of 

 error, and, by finding the quantities, not of the compounds, but 

 of the elements, auv error that is introduced is discovered, when 

 the binary compounds are inferred. To ensure accuracy, there- 

 fore, it was desirable to apply it to the illustration of the pre- 

 sent subject, more especially as the preceding analyses, though 

 they do not differ greatly in the results, still, from these diffi- 

 culties, do not exactly correspond. 



Different methods might be emplo\ed. The following is the 

 one I have preferred. 



To a pint of sea-water, reduced by evaporation to nearly one- 

 fourth, at which state of concentration no crystallization nor de- 

 position takes place, muriate of barytes was added as long us any 

 precipitation occurred. By a preliminary trial, it was found that, 

 the precipitate gives no effervescence with nniriatic acid, nor 

 suffers any change. It was therefore sulphate of barytes. Dried 

 by a low red heat, ii, weighed "J.'i grains, equivalent to 14*4 5///- 

 pliuric acid. 



By this step the whole salts in the sea-water were converted 

 into muriates. It remained' to discover and estimate the quan- 

 tities of their bases. 



To the clear liquor, oxalate of ammonia was added as long as 

 any turbid appearance was produced. The precipitate, washeci 

 and dried, by a heat of 150° continued for two hours, weighed 

 «S*a grains. Calcined with a low red-heat, it gave of carbonate 

 of lime 5*2 grains. This, dissolved with strong effervescence iu 

 dilute muriatic acid, and the product being heated with sulphuric 

 acid, gave sulphate of lime, which, after exposure to a red-heaty 

 weighed 7 grains, equivalent to 2*9 of pure Lime. 



To the clear liquor warmed, carbonate of ammonia was added, 

 and phosphoric acid was dropped in'^ ; an abundant precipita- 

 tion took place of phosphate of magnesia and anmw:)nia, antl 

 additional portions of the phosphoric acid, with such additions 



• I .\hall lijtveto state in a subsequent pupcr, the peculiar advantages at- 

 tending this method of estimating the magnesia. 



Vol. 51. No. 23S. Fd: ISIS. G of 



