388 Beck on Salt Storms, ^rc, 



PHYSICS, CHEMISTRY, kc. 



AiiT. XIII. Observations on Salt Storms, and the Influence 

 of Salt and Saline Air upon Animal and Vegetable Life. 

 Read before the Lyceum of Natural History of New- 

 York, March 7, 1819, by John B. Beck, M. D. 



(Communicated for this Journal.) 



ItJ-ETEOROLOGY is a science of so much general concern, 

 that it seems to be incumbent upon every member of society 

 to aid in augmenting the stock of facts, which the labours of 

 ingenious and scientific men have already accumulated on that 

 subject. Under this impression I propose to devote the fol- 

 lowing paper to some observations on salt winds or storms, as 

 they have occurred in this country and in Europe — a subject, 

 which although presenting many phenomena of a more than 

 temporary interest, has as yet excited but little attention. 

 Indeed, the opportunities for observation have occurred so 

 rarely as readily to account for its having in a great measure 

 escaped the philosophical acumen of the present age. 



It must have been early observed that the atmosphere in 

 the vicinity of the sea frequently becomes impregnated with 

 saline materials ; but the first and onlj^ account of a salt storm 

 that I have met with, is to be found in the Transactions of the 

 Linnsean Society of London. The 8th volume of that work 

 gives an interesting narration of the eflfects of a storm of this 

 description, which occurred in England, in January, 1803. It 

 was occasioned by an east wind, which blew for some days, 

 and which, in its passage over the ocean, had imbibed large 

 quantities of salt water, which were afterward deposited upon 

 the land. In most cases these depositions proved fatal to the 

 plants and vegetables which received them. So extensive 



