390 Beck on Salt Storms, <Jrc. 



Other facts of a similar nature might be collected, but these 

 it is presumed are sufficient to characterize the state of the 

 atmosphere during that storm. 



Several interesting inquiries arise from the consideration of 

 the foregoing facts. 



1. In what way does the salt exist in the atmosphere in 

 these storms ? On this point there are two different opinions. 

 The most prevalent is, that it is merely the spray of the sea 

 driven onward by the force of the wind. This opinion has 

 received the sanction of Sir Joseph Banks,* and also of Sir 

 Humphry Davy, if we may judge from an incidental expres- 

 sion in his Agricultural Chemistry.! Another opinion | is, 

 that muriate of soda is continually rising into the atmosphere 

 from the surface of the ocean, and that the air, in all maritime 

 situations, is thus constantly more or less impregnated with salt. 

 The most striking fact in support of this doctrine, (so opposite 

 to the commonly received views on the subject of the evapo- 

 ration of sea water) is the actual existence of muriate of soda 

 in the rain and snow which fafll in the vicinity of the ocean. § 

 The experiments of Vogel and Bouillon Lagrange, on the 

 distillation of sea water, are also in favour of the position, that 

 salt may be carried into the air in the ordinary process of 

 evaporation. On distilling salt water they found a considera- 

 ble quantity of muriate of soda in the receiver. || 



* Linnaean Transactions. Vol. VIII. p. 289. f P- 339. Lond. ed. 



% Maintained by Dr. Mitchill. 



{ My friend, Dr. John Torrey, has favoured me with the following results of 

 some experiments, which he made at my request upon the last snow which fell. 

 *' A pint and a half of snow water was reduced by evaporation to a few drops. 

 On testing this with vegetable blue infusions no alteration of colour took place. 

 It was afterward evapo' ated to dryness, and about a quarter of a grain of a solid re- 

 siduum was obtained. This was redissolved in a small quantity of pure rain water, 

 and prussiate of potash added to it, without occasionmg any precipitate. Nitrate 

 of silver produced a white precipitate so copious, that the solution was thick with 

 it. Carbonate of soda produced no effect. The transparency of a solution of 

 muriate of barytes was not disturbed by it. These experiments prove, that Ajree 

 acid does not exist in snow water, but that the muriate exists in it combined with 

 an alkali, which is most probably soda." 



II Mr. J. Murray, of London, considers this to be a mistake. Free muriatic 

 add, and not muriate of soda, he says, will be found in the recipient. — Elements of 

 Ghemistry. Parti, p. 212. Lond. ed. 1818. 



