ANDREAS KURTZ 1S5 



He made numerous experiments in oxalic 

 acid, and tartaric acid, carbonate of ammonia, 

 muriate of ammonia, muriate of tin, borate of 

 ammonia, neutral chromate of potash, and 

 other compounds. There is a series of tests 

 showing the specific gravities of saturated 

 solutions of various salts, such as sulphate of 

 soda, sulphate of magnesia, sulphate of zinc 

 sulphate of copper, sulphate of potash, 

 sulphate of alumina, sulphate of iron, borate 

 of soda, borate of potash, borate of ammonia, 

 carbonate of soda, carbonate of potash, and 

 muriate of soda. These observations appear 

 to have been made when he was studying 

 and preparing for the manufacture of borax, 

 which he entered on with Messrs.. Wood and 

 Co., of Burslem. Borax was ordinarily 

 prepared from "Tincal" a natural borate of 

 soda, which was imported from India and 

 China, being found in certain inland lakes of 

 Asia, Pay en says: "The water of these 

 lakes is simply evaporated by the summer 

 heat, leaving behind a crystalline mass con- 

 taining earthy, fatty, and other impurities, 

 which is known in the market as 'Tincal.' 

 This 'tincal,' or raw borax, was formerly 

 submitted to a process of crystallisation at 

 Venice, and came into the market as Venetian 



