GEOLOGY. 171 



stantly becomiDg more powerful by reason of the solid 

 land under the water that the oxydation of water rises to 

 the highest degree, so that this element finally converts 

 itself into an acid, or hydro-oxide. This process must be 

 regarded as a decomposition of water, whereby a portion 

 of the hydrogen forms sulphur with the carbon, the rest 

 with the oxygen an hydro-oxide. 



829 : The hydro-oxide is hydrochloric acid. This 

 acid must be regarded as peroxydized hydrogen. Its 

 signification is thus that of being water itself, or a whole 

 element with a preponderance of oxygen. It attains this 

 rank by its constituent parts, namely, the two general 

 gaseous primary bodies, by its distribution as a whole 

 element around the earth ; by its occurrence as an earth - 

 formation in rock-salt ; finally, by its presence in all ve- 

 getable and animal juices. Hydrochloric acid is the type 

 of all acids, as the iron is of all metals. All acids are 

 but imitations of the hydrochloric. All abide by the 

 signification of water, or are conversions of elements or 

 earths by oxydation into an hydroid condition. 



830. Between the acidified water and the Earthy a 

 higher antagonism now emerges. The Earthy separates 

 a part of its carbon from the carbonic acid and sulphur, 

 so that the rest remains behind peroxydized, and makes 

 its appearance as an alkali. 



831. The alkali is to be regarded as the last conver- 

 sion of calcareous earth in respect to water. It is an 

 earth, whose oxygen has converted itself with a portion 

 of its carbon into acid and been set free ; a salt halved 

 upon the basic side. This general alkali, that has origi- 

 nated in water, is soda or natrom. 



832. Alkali and acid are the last antagonism in the 

 earthy, moieties, which can never subsist without each 

 other. 



833. The alkali is corrosive, because it seeks water 

 and acid, in order to perfect itself; acid is pungent to 

 the taste, because it seeks earth or alkali. 



834. Their antagonism is the highest antagonism be- 

 tween water and earth ; it is also the representation of 



