ON CALCAREOUS EARTH 253 



by alkaline spirit. But an intelligent chemist, accustomed 

 to experiment, finds no difficulty in assigning the causes of 

 phenomena to the author so incomprehensible ; but as they 

 do not belong to the present subject, I pass them over. 



These observations will, I hope, my very worthy friend, 

 convince you that the doctrine of Black is not only applicable 

 to all the experiments, but that it will maintain its ground 

 in the principal points, and is consequently true. Kefer to 

 the author's analysis of sea salt, and you will find (p. 160) 

 that Glauber's salt, together with the lime dissolved by 

 marine acid, are to be separated by crystallisation. In like 

 manner, he supposes (p. 167) that Epsom salt and Glauber's 

 salt are contained in the mother ley, together with calcareous 

 earth, dissolved by marine acid. He speaks, too, of these 

 salts at p. 175. Now it has been known since the time of 

 Neumann that vitriolic acid, and the neutral salts into 

 which it enters, separate calcareous earth from the muriatic 

 as well as other acids. 



