50 Improvements in Physical Science (Jan. 
The saline matter consisted of 
COMMON SAE ete ie jaye sie 0 ws ooo wiea oe eel 
Muriate Of MMs ac ss wine's as vie yer enee 
Muriate of magnesia .............. 0°29 
trl lie he Mis RITE sl cits) aha s! 'che's' oe! no ee 
Carbonate of Hime .sc660c2c06e0500 OFF 
OMB AOD rag ano dove viscace aes > ss ee 
Trace of manganese and insoluble matter 0°44 
MOS ere ne eee cae Sates oni ae Bs. OFS 
7-68 
3. Sea Water.—Dr. Murray, of Edinburgh, has lately made a 
very careful analysis of sea water, in order to judge how far his 
views respecting mineral waters in general (of which an account 
was given in our historical sketch for last year) are applicable to sea 
water. The result will be published in the next volume of the 
Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. During his ex- 
periments he discovered a new double salt, composed of sulphate of 
magnesia and Glauber’s salt. From the observations of Mr. Heales, 
it appears that this salt has been long used in London as a cathartie. 
(See Phil. Mag. xlviii, 202.) 
XIV. VEGETABLE BODIES. 
1. Beet Sugar. — Margraaf ascertained many years ago that 
crystals of sugar might be extracted from the beet ; and Achard, of 
Berlin, endeavoured to show, by experiments in the large way, that 
sugar might be extracted from the beet with profit. Little attention 
was paid to these experiments till Bonaparte began his chimerical 
project of subjecting all Europe under his dominion. Great Britain 
being the most formidable enemy that he had to encounter, he en- 
deavoured to destroy her in the first place by putting an end to her 
commerce, upon which, in his opinion, her very existence de- 
pended. With this view he contrived what he called the European 
system, by which Great Britain was excluded, as far as his in- 
fluence extended, from all the markets of Europe. His own sub- 
jects, in consequence, were prevented from being supplied as usual 
with the commodities of India and America, many of which had 
become necessaries of life in France, as well as in Great Britain. 
Sugar, among other articles, rose to an enormous price, and at 
some times could scarcely be procured on any terms whatever. This 
drew Bonaparte’s attention to the old experiments of the Prussian 
chemists, and he encouraged the establishment of manufactories in 
France for extracting sugar from the beet. Many accordingly were 
erected ; some of them even were successful ; but as the price of 
this sugar was considerably higher than that of sugar from the West 
Indies, the restoration of Peace will probably destroy the whole of 
these manufactories, if it has not done so already. Chaptal, who 
was himself a successful maker of beet sugar, conceiving that it 
