



'^ 



THE FARMER AT HOIV^E. 355 



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eaves, and adheres to their extremities, proclaims its maturity. The 

 vlalays then cut it down near the root, divide it into several sections, 

 ind then scooop out the mass of mealy substance, which is envel- 

 oped by, and adheres to the fibres ; they dilute it in water, and then 

 pass it through a straining bag of fine cloth, to separate it from the 

 fibres. When this paste has lost part of its moisture, by evaporation, 

 the Malays throw it into earthern vessels, of different shapes, where 

 they allow it to dry and harden. This paste is wholesome nourishing 

 food ; the Indians eat it diluted with water, and sometimes baked or 

 boiled. A jelly is sometimes made of it, which is white and of a 

 delicious flavor. An inferior kind of Sago is made in the West Indies 

 from the pitch of the areca. 



SALIVA. The saliva which is secreted by peculiar glands, and 

 which flows into the mouth, is a clear viscid fluid, without taste 0r 

 smell. It has generally a frothy appearance, being mixed with a 

 quantity of air. Saliva has a strong attraction for oxygen, which by 

 trituration it communicates to some metalic substances, as mercury, 

 gold, and silver. When saliva is boiled in water, albumen is precipi- 

 tated, and when it is slowly evaporated, muriate of soda is obtained. 

 A vegetable gluten remains behind, which burns with the odor of 

 prussic acid. Saliva becomes thick by the action of acids. Oxalic 

 acid precipitates lime. Saliva is also inspissated by alchohol. It is 

 decomposed by the alkalies ; and the nitrates of lead, of mercury, and 

 the silver, precipitate muriatic and phosphoric acids. By distilla- 

 tion in a retort, it froths up, affords nearly four-fifths of its quantity ol 

 water almost pure, a little carbonate of ammonia, some oil, and an 

 acid. What remains behind consists of muriate of soda, phosphate 

 of soda and of lime. 



SALT. Or the muriate of soda, as it is termed by chemists, is 

 one of the most abundant productions of nature, and is found in vast 

 quantities in its native state. The waters of the ocean owe their salt- 

 ness to it ; it is found in a number of mineral springs ; and it forms 

 immense strata in the bowels of the earth, or rising on the surface, 

 even to the height of mountains. According as it is produced from 

 these sources, it is named sea salt or rock salt Rock salt is solid, 

 hard, and more or less transparent, of a white, gray, or reddish color, 

 sometimes of a bright or deep red or yellow, and more rarely with spots 

 of blue. Its fracture is foliated or fibrous ; generally it is massive, 

 but sometimes crystalized in cubes, and its fragments are always of a 

 cubical form. The colors are supposed to depend on the oxide or 

 muriate of iron. In general it is pure, and hence its taste is purely 

 saline ; but sometimes it is bitter, from the presence of foreign salts. 

 There are immense mines of it in different countries 



It has been stated that salt is superior for preserving fish and meats 

 in proportion to its weight ; and, that American salt being considera- 

 bly heavier than Liverpool salt, is superior to it. This comparative 



