Chap. 7.] from Brine in cold Countries. 39 



forms fo thin a ftratum, that the cold of the atmofphere 

 adls powerfully in congealing it. As the frozen part 



confifts 



Newmann agrees with Spielmann (_/") ; Eller fays, that 7 ounces 

 of foilile fait may be diflbived in 16 ounces of water (g) 

 laftly, Hoffmann affures us, that 16 ounces of water will not 

 difioive above 6 ounces of common fait (/'). I have tried this 

 matter with diiHlled and with common water, and in various de- 

 grees of heat, and cannot but be of opinion, that Hoffmann's ex- 

 periment approaches neareft to the truth ; I never could diffolve 

 quite 6 ounces of rock alt in 16 ounces of water. It is not wholly 

 improbable, that different forts of rock fait may differ fomewhat 

 with refpeft to their folubility in water. 



*Jf it be admitted, that 16 ounces of water can diffolve 6 ounces 

 of fait and no more, then we may be certain, that no brine fpring, 

 in any part of the world, can yield 6 ounces of fait from a pint of 

 the brine. For brine fp rings 'are, ordinarily, nothing but water in 

 which foffile fait has been difiblved ; but a pint cf the ftrongeft 

 brine cannot contain fo much fait as is contained in a pint of water, 

 which has been faturated with 6 ounces of fait ; for a pint of water, 

 in which 6 ounces of fait have been diffolved, is increafed a little 

 in bulk, it will do more than fill a pint meafure, and the fait left 

 in the furplus will (hew, how much the falt^ contained in a pint of 

 the rtrongefi brine, falls fhort of 6 ounces. Or, we may confider 

 the matter in the following manner, which will, perhaps, be more 

 intelligible; 16 ounces of water, impregnated with 6 ounces of 

 fait, conftitute a faturated brine, weighing 22 ounces; if therefore 

 we would know how much fait is contained in 16 ounces of fuck 

 brine, by the rule of proportion we may argue, that if 22 ounces 

 of brine contain 6 ounces of fait, 16 ounces of brine will contain 

 4-^- ounces of fait. Hence we may infer, that the ftrongeil brine 

 fprings will not yield much above one quarter of their weight qf 

 lalc(0. 



' Dr. 



(f) Newmann's Chem. by Lewis, p. 256. 



(g) Obf. Phy. Chem. L. ii. Ob. xvi. 

 (b) Ber. Mem. 1750. 



(z) Several pits at Northwith, and at Barton in Lanca- 



fhire, contain no lefs than fix ounces cf fait upon fixteen of brine, 



v/hich is as large a proportion of fait as water will diflblve. Nenum. 



Cb(?n, p, 212, Lewis's cote.The author here is fallen, probably ? 



P 4 into 



