144 ONTOLOGY. 



phur originate in the calcareous earth combined as 

 gypsum, with oxygen. 



653. It may be said, that calx were decomposed into 

 alkali and carbon ; water into oxygen and acid. Car- 

 bon and oxygen become carbonic acid in limestone. 

 Carbons and hydrogen become sulphur, combined with 

 oxygen sulphuric acid in gypsum. Hydrogen and oxygen 

 become hydrochloric acid in common salt. 



654. Gypsum is to be regarded as a calcareous earth, 

 which is inflammable in character, as the fundamental 

 earths were metallic. The philosophical essence of gyp- 

 sum consists not in its oxydation by sulphuric acid, but 

 in the combination of calcareous earth with sulphur, as 

 occurs in that of iron- spar with iron ; in this combina- 

 tion, however, the carbonic acid has still remained, 

 whereby the sulphur became acid. The gypsum was 

 therefore a carbonaceo-sulphate of lime, an oxydized metal 

 with a very large proportion of calcareous earth. 



655. Gypsum and chalk are related polarwise to each 

 other, separate during the general precipitation, and are 

 deposited opposite to, or alternately upon, each other. 



656. In fluor-spar, apatite and boracite the last diffe- 

 rentialization of lime and carbonic acid is lost. The 

 principal masses are the carbonate and sulphate of lime. 



657. The strata of the Inflammables, such as of pit- 

 coal, and of the ores, as of iron, calamine, appear to have 

 originated in simply a mechanical manner. 



REPEATED SEDIMENTARY PRECIPITATIONS. 



658. The precipitating process is a process of polariza- 

 tion, which comprises several stages. In it there are 

 moments of time. 



659. If the fluid mass be large, this polarization will 

 then require considerable time to penetrate throughout it. 



660. The polarizing process will issue from a definite 

 point, which is different from water, and thus form the 

 point upon which the light operates with greatest force. 



661. This is solid ground. During the calcareous 

 precipitation, there was no other ground present save 



