AND STRONTIUM 



ALKALINE 



EARTHS 



plained (|i. "l i'f "''/.) it i* met with as one <>| tin- Hll ill- that 



Mile i,'-/i. It has been shown ([>. ")<>) that the chief use <>l this salt 

 illicit lie regarded .1 in the preparation of carbonate of HOcla. Its pro- 

 diidion is lit all events the lit ID the l,e I'.laiic process of soda Manufacture. 



manufacture, and when- met v\ith at all abundantly as a surface 

 ellloresceiice it mi^ht IK- viewed as the I accomplished without 



the expense of sulphuric acid having l>een incurred. 



'I'his suit is in India <1< -rived from reh efflorescence, either by solar .tion 



(obi) or by artificial heat (jaria), and l>y u method very similar to that pursued 

 with crude suit pet re. The quality of the earth collected is of course different 

 in i-arli cose, hut tlie nature of the filters, boilers and puns employed is the same ; 

 and for evaporation and condensation of the brine, boilers and chunam pans are 

 l.otli used, the former in Milnir and tin- latter in the United Provinces of Agra 

 and Oiidh. win-re prolonged dry, hot weather may be more confidently reckoned 

 on than in I'.iliar. 



Industrial Uses. Potna-khnri (aw the ktuiri produced in Bihar is called) is Patna- 

 n^ed cbielly for preserving hides, ami a ho ;us a cathartic for cattle; it sells khari. 

 ai from S to I _' anna.s a mannd, and contains very little sodic chloride. Khari Preservative 

 produced up-country, by solar evaporation, is also much employed as a cathartic 'or IM--.-. 

 for cattle. It contain-, however, a considerable pen-enlace, of common salt (20 Cattle Me.li.-m-. 

 to :iO and .-ometimes even more): it realises from 12 annas to one rupee per maund. 

 (Jlanlter's Salt may lie said to bo better suited than common salt for the curing 

 of hides, owing to the tendency of the latter to absorb water and soften the 

 hides. The klmrl (or chamra-kliari) of Hilii'ir being as a rule purer than that 

 of the I'nited Provinces, is accordingly in greater demand. Bucharian- 

 Hamilton iu 1809 drew attention to this circumstance by his having pointed out 

 that tho finhHi-kJiari was the best procurable in India. According to Dutt 

 (Mat. Med. Hind., 1900, 90) it was known to tho recent Sanskrit writers under 

 the name of kahdri Idvana, and was used medicinally in combination with other 

 saline substances. As manufactured in India it is an impure salt. 



ALKALINE EARTHS. Having now discussed the true alkalis Alkaline Earths, 

 and their salts with as much detail as the available space will admit, it 

 becomes necessary to record the chief facts known regarding the Alkaline 

 Earths and their salts as met with in India. 



13. Barium and Baryta; Ball, Man. Econ. Geol., Ind., 473-4. Baryta. 

 The oxide of this metal (baryta) is an extremely caustic, poisonous and 

 strongly alkaline substance that forms a hydrate with water. 



14. Barium Carbonate. This is imported into India to a very limited 

 extent. It is highly poisonous. In Europe it is employed as an ingredient in 

 certain forms of pottery and glassware, and is the basis of certain delicate 

 colours. In France it is used in the defecation of beet-root sugar in place of 

 lime. [Of. Min. Indust., 1900, 53-4-1 



15. Barium Nitrate. This is obtained by decomposing the carbonate by 

 means of nitric acid. It is the chief salt employed in pyrotechny for the pro- 

 duction of green fires. It is also the tinctorial principle in BARYTA GREEN a 

 pigment of some value. Recently barium nitrate has been substituted for 

 saltpetre in the preparation of certain explosives. 



10. Barium Sulphate. This is the most important of the barium salts 

 and is known as HA um:s (BARYTES) or HEAVY-SPAR. It is found in mineral lodes 

 and usually constitutes a distinct portion of the gangue there present. In tho 

 Karm'il District, Madras, it occurs along with galena, within the veins of quartz. 

 Large quantities also occur with quartz, forming a network of veins, as for example 

 near Alangayam, Salem district (Holland, Rec. Geol. Surv. Ind., 1897, xxx., pt. iv.). 

 If ever worked, large supplies could be obtained from that locality. So, in tho 

 same way, barytes exists in the Central Provinces in association with copper 

 such as, at Jabbalpur and in the Rewa State. In Rajputana barytes has been 

 reported by Dr. Irvine as occurring at the lead mines of Taragarh in Ajmir. In 

 the Panjab it has also been found in association with galena at Subathu in the 

 Simla district. While it would thus appear that the Indian sources of this 

 alkaline earth have not been worked, barium sulphate is nevertheless available 

 in every bazar and seems to be very largely sold as " white load," or in adultera- 



57 



Carbonate. 

 Used in Pottery. 



Nitrate. 

 Baryta Green. 



Sulphite. 

 Barytes. 



Adulteration 

 withWhiteLead. 



