SALT SALUTATION. 



83 



For the chemical, natural, historical, and economi- 

 cal history of the most important salts, see the arti- 

 cles upon their respective bases, as Lime, Soda, &c. 



SALT, HENRY, born in Litchfield, and educated 

 in the grammar-school of that town, was sent to 

 London, and placed under the tuition of an artist, 

 but had not been long with him, before lord Val- 

 entia made him an offer to take him, on his pro- 

 jected journey to India; and Mr Salt accompanied 

 him to India as his draftsman. During his travels 

 in that country, and up the Red Sea, and through 

 Abyssinia back to England, they were absent four 

 years; and, on their return, lord Valentia published 

 his travels, in three volumes quarto, splendidly 

 ornamented with plates, from the pencil of Mr Salt. 

 The Account of Abyssinia was written by Mr Salt, 

 who was employed to carry presents to the em- 

 peror of Abyssinia. Mr Salt, on his return, pub- 

 lished twenty-four Views taken in India, the Red 

 Sea, Abyssinia, &c., folio (1809) ; and, in 1814, an 

 account of a Voyage to Abyssinia, and Travels in 

 the Interior of that Country, quarto. This was the 

 narrative of a second journey which Mr Salt made 

 to that country, on his return from which he was 

 appointed English consul-general in Egypt, where 

 he engaged in active researches into the antiquities 

 of that country. He died, near Alexandria, in 1827. 



SALTCOATS; a seaport town in Ayrshire, 

 Scotland, situated about 32 miles from Glasgow. 

 About two hundred years ago, Salt-cots, or Salt- 

 coats, consisted of only four little cottages or cots, 

 inhabited by as many families, who gained a liveli- 

 hood by making salt in kettles; but at the begin- 

 ning of the last century, a harbour being erected for 

 shipping coal from the great coal tract which per- 

 vades the neighbourhood, the little hamlet began to 

 assume the appearance of a village, but it is only in 

 recent years that it has risen to any note. About 

 the year 1700, the place becoming the property of 

 Sir Robert Cunningham, he erected the harbour to 

 facilitate the export of coal; and he further built 

 several large pans for the manufacture of salt, of 

 which a very great quantity has been made here. 

 The trade of ship-building was carried on also with 

 success; and in the twenty-six years, ending in 1790, 

 there were built no fewer than sixty-four vessels of 

 the aggregate tonnage of 7095, value upwards of 

 70,000 sterling. Since that period the trade of 

 the port has considerably increased. The exporta- 

 tion of coals to Ireland forms a chief branch of com- 

 merce ; and there are some hundreds of looms in the 

 town employed in weaving for the Paisley and Glas- 

 gow manufacturers. Population in 1821, 3413; in 

 1831, not specified. 



SALTPETRE. See Potash. 



SALT-WATER BATHS; those which are 

 ^aken in the water of the salt-springs, approach in 

 virtue to the sea-baths. They are used chiefly in 

 scrofulous and cutaneous disorders, inveterate gout 

 and syphilis, lameness, rheumatism, tendency to ca- 

 tarrhs, &c. The daily repeated inspiration of the 

 air near the salt-works is also beneficial in some com- 

 plaints of the lungs. Even the drinking a small 

 quantity of the brine, if not too strong, is of some 

 use in the above mentioned complaints. These 

 haths may be easily established wherever there are 

 inland salt-works. There are several in Germany, 

 much frequented. See John C. Reil, On the Use 

 and Application of the Brine-Baths (Halle, 1809), 

 and Tolberg's Expcritnents on the use of Brine-bat As 

 (Madgeburg, 1811), both in German. For Sea- 

 buthsntj, see that article. 



SALUTATION; the signs which custom has 

 rendered common, for expressing to others, in our 

 intercourse with them, our esteem, love, submission, 

 or good will. Greeting (in German, yruss, grussen), 

 is derived from the Low German yroten, to make 

 great: thus God greet you, means, God make you 

 great bless you. Salutation sometimes consists of 

 certain gestures. Sometimes an express assurance, 

 or wish is added to these mute signs of feeling. 

 The difference in the forms of salutation often ex- 

 tends so far, that one nation considers that a mark 

 of rudeness which another esteems a mark of civility 

 In most German countries, it is an act of politeness 

 to kiss the hands of ladies; but, in Italy, this is re, 

 garded as a mark of familiarity, which is permitted 

 only to the nearest relations. On the contrary, 

 the Russian ladies allow not only the hand to be 

 kissed, but even the forehead, and would consider 

 themselves insulted by the omission of this cere- 

 mony. Instead of the customary salutation in the 

 Protestant countries of Germany, Good morning, 

 Your servant, &c. v the German Catholic salutes 

 in the manner prescribed by the pope Benedict 

 XIII. (1728), Praised be Jesus Christ; to which 

 the answer is, For ever, amen. The miner's saluta- 

 tion is, Good luck to you (Gliick auf.) The mili- 

 tary salutations which were introduced among the 

 Germans in the beginning of the sixteenth century, 

 consist in touching the hat or cap, lowering the 

 standards and the sword, or raising the musket. 

 Vessels, when meeting, salute each other by a dis- 

 charge of cannon, by striking the flag, or by the 

 cheers of the sailors, &c. If we express our esteem 

 for persons of distinction, by bowing, and uncover- 

 ing our heads, the Russian throws himself on the 

 ground before his master, clasps his knees, and 

 kisses them. The Pole bows to the ground, and 

 the Bohemian kisses at least the gown of any 

 one for whom he wishes to express his profound 

 respect. 



Mutual contact is regarded among almost all na- 

 tions as the expression of friendly sentiments. The 

 pressing of hands, embraces, and kisses, are among 

 other nations also, as well as those of Europe, 

 marks of esteem and love. Some nations, in salut- 

 ing, touch other parts of the body. The Lapland- 

 ers, for instance, press their noses firmly together. 

 In one of the larger Cyclades, persons reciprocally 

 moisten each other's hair ; and the Franks are said 

 to have pulled out a hair and presented it to the 

 person saluted. The Turk crosses his hands, places 

 them upon his breast, and bows. The salutation of 

 the Hindoos in Bengal consists in touching the 

 forehead with the right hand, and bending the head 

 forwards. They first place the right hand on the 

 breast with a profound inclination, then touch the 

 ground, and finally the forehead with the same 

 hand. At the same time, they call themselves the 

 most humble slaves of him whom they salute. The 

 inhabitants of the Manillas bend the body pro- 

 foundly, place their hands upon their cheeks, raise 

 one leg, and bend the knee. The inhabitants of 

 Lamurzec, in the Pelew islands, seize the hand, or 

 even the foot of the person whom they wish to 

 salute, and rub their face with it. In the island of 

 Sumatra, the saluting person bows, begs the left 

 foot of him whom he addresses, kneels on the 

 ground, and applies this foot to his crown, fore- 

 head, breast and knee: finally, he touches the 

 ground with his head, and remains for some mo- 

 ments stretched out on his belly. 



The salutations in the East generally bear the 



