172 ONTOLOGY. 



the antagonism between fire and the terrestrial elements, 

 or also between light and gravity. Therefore this anta- 

 gonism has a cosmic or universal signification. 



835. The combination of this antagonism is the sea- or 

 common salt. 



836. Sea-salt is the universal salt. All other salts 

 are to be regarded only as metamorphoses of it, as well 

 as the acids only conversions of the acid of common salt, 

 and the alkalies of soda. 



837. The sea-salt is essential to water. It is the pro- 

 duct of geogeny, has not entered the water from without, 

 but been generated in it, and is constantly being regene- 

 rated, so long as light shines upon the sea. Properly 

 speaking, sea-salt has been in the water from the begin- 

 ning ; but it was previously shrouded in the other earths, 

 and could act substantially for the first time, when they 

 .had been separated from it. It has become salt, or water 

 and earth-element by the agency of light. 



838. The sea-salt has also been generated in opposi- 

 tion to the calcareous earths, and during its separation 

 been rendered polar towards the latter. The salt mines 

 are therefore associated with the last calcareous formation, 

 the gypsum, and this it is also that determines their 

 lamination. 



839. As it may be said, that the metals separate into 

 coal and sulphur, namely, pass over at their iron -extremity 

 into coal, at their arsenical, into sulphur ; so may it be said, 

 that the earths separate into acids and alkalies ; the one 

 by the conversion of silica into fluoric acid, the other by 

 that of calcareous earth into soda, Carbonic and sul- 

 phuric acid take possession of the calcareous earth ; the 

 hydro-oxide of the alkali. 



840. The sea- salt has been the last to be separated 

 from, because it was last generated in, the water. The 

 salt beds belong to the last precipitation, by not having 

 been mechanically thrown down, but as already observed 

 and as their occurrence proves, by an alternating process 

 of separation from the acidified lime. It is absurd to 

 wish to explain the presence of common salt in the sou 



