136 M. Berzelius on the [Aug. 



tions of each correspond. If the soda were previously com- 

 bined with muriatic acid, the decomposition would be still more 

 extensive, because a portion of the muriatic acid would at the 

 same time unite with the potash. Two salts were originally dis- 

 solved in the water, but these constitute four, so long as they re- 

 main in solution; if the water be evaporated, the two are again 

 recovered, for the reasons which have been so ably developed by 

 Berth ollet. 



Should it be asked what quantity of each of these four salts 

 exist in solution ? We must allow, that so long as their amount 

 cannot be ascertained by actual analysis, the question must re- 

 main unanswered. These quantities depend, in the first place, 

 upon the respective quantities of the two salts originally mixed, 

 and, in the second, upon the relative attractive forces of the 

 acids and bases. The former of these points may be easily 

 ascertained, but we as yet possess no data for a precise deter- 

 mination of the latter. Could we express the relative attractive 

 forces of each individual substance in numbers, in the same 

 manner as we express its specific heat or its specific gravity, it 

 would then become easy to perform this calculation from the re- 

 sults of an ordinary analysis. As yet, however, not one of these 

 relative affinities is so thoroughly understood, that its precise 

 amount can be compared with that of another ; and, it is there- 

 fore altogether impossible to determine with certainty, from the 

 results of an analysis, to*what extent the acids and bases had 

 been combined with one another in the original solution. At 

 present, the utmost we can accomplish, is to state the direct re- 

 sults of an accurate analysis. Theory informs us, that the sub- 

 stances constituting our result are different from those which 

 actually existed in the water ; but we should be wrong to asso- 

 ciate them with one another in any other manner, because such 

 an arrangement could have for its basis nothing better than un- 

 certain conjecture. 



In the Carlsbad water, one of the bases, the soda, preponder- 

 ates so considerably over the other, that the real constitution of 

 the water must correspond pretty closely with the result of ana- 

 lysis. Nevertheless, we may be certain that the water contains 

 small quantities of sulphate and muriate of lime, as also of sul- 

 phate and muriate of magnesia, and a correspondingly larger 

 quantity of carbonate of soda than the analysis indicates ; 

 although these .salts are gradually decomposed, in proportion as 

 the quantity of water is diminished during evaporation. The 

 substances which the water contains in such extremely minute 

 quantities, must be subject to the same law of mutual decom- 

 position, only the action of the law will in the case of these be 

 much less perceptible. 



In stating the result of my analysis, I have given the alkaline 

 carbonates as I found them in the dry salt, obtained by eva- 



