142 Extracts from the Journals. [Jan., 



which, during the whole time, a current of perfectly dry air, 

 amounting in all to 200 cubic inches, was passed, lost by this 

 treatment 2.1 grains, or 4.2 per cent. 



3. One hundred grains of the soil were boiled for ten minutes 

 in four or five ounces of distilled water, then filtered and washed. 

 The insoluble residuum, separated and dried, weighed 93.5 grains, 

 and is of a reddish grey, slightly varying in color from the origi- 

 nal soil. Deducting 4.2 from the loss, the part soluble in boiling 

 water is 2.3 per cent. To the clear solution nitrate of silver ini- 

 parted a slight milkiness, indicating the presence of chlorine. 

 Chloride of barium, producing no turbidness, implied the absence 

 of soluble sulphates. Oxalate of ammonia, gave evidence of a 

 salt of lime soluble in boiling water. Phosphate of soda and 

 ammonia gave no evidence of magnesia, and ferrocyanide of po- 

 tassium, none of iron. The liquid slowly evaporated to dryness, 

 left a residuum, which in the bottom of the porcelain basin sepa- 

 rated into a yellowish ring of crenic acid, giving the usual im- 

 pression, first of acidity and then of astringency to the taste, and 

 a central portion of w^iite crenate or carbonate of lime. 



4. Another portion of one hundred grains was exposed in a 

 platinum crucible to a dull red heat over a lamp, by which it lost 

 8.65 grains, showing the insoluble organic matter to be 2.15 per 

 cent. The same portion afterwaixls exposed for fifteen minutes to 

 a nearly white heat lost in addition 5.3 grains, and became of a 

 light brick red color. 



5. A third portion of one hundred grains finely pulverized was 

 placed in a green glass flask. An ounce of distilled water was 

 poured over it, and an open-mouthed tube containing chlorhydric 

 acid was inserted, the mouth closed with a cork traversed by a 

 small glass tube surmounted by a tube containing chloride of cal- 

 cium. The whole being carefully counterpoised, the acid was by 

 degrees decanted and allowed to act on the soil. Heat was cau- 

 tiously applied near the close of the operation, bringing the liquid 

 at length to gentle ebullition, but taking care that no pure steam 

 entered the chloride tube. On cooling the apparatus, the air was 

 allowed to pass through a second chloride tube attached to the 

 first, thus avoiding the hygrometric moisture of the air. When 

 the whole apparatus had become cool, heat was again applied, 

 and the boiling and cooling repeated with the same precautions, 

 until, on re-weighings no loss was found to occur between one 

 boiling and another. The final loss of carbonic acid was thus 

 ascertained to be 5.55 per cent. 



6. Having withdrawn the cork from the flask, more chlorhy- 

 dric acid was added, and the boiling continued until every thing- 

 soluble had been taken up. The undissolved residuum filtered, 

 washed, and ignited, weighing 63.55 grains. It is a powder of 



