388 JMiscellanies. 
mars 1830, by Berzelius, allusion is made to my examination of the 
Native Alum of Milo, (a notice of which appeared in Vol: XVI of 
this Journal) in which, in consequence of having detected in it the 
existence of soda, and from the consideration of its natural historical 
properties, I suggested that it was identical with the Native Soda 
Alum described by Dr. Thomson, of Glasgow, in the Annals of the 
Lyceum of Natural History of New York, Vol. III, p. 19,—not 
presuming to decide whether that mineral constituted a distinct spe- 
cies; and still less, was I ‘“‘ misled” in adopting the opinion, as Ber- 
zelius supposes, that it was identical with the artificial soda alum,— 
an opinion attributed to Dr. Thomson also, but which I think is erro- 
neously inferred from his language. Dr. Thomson has, however, 
obviously committed an oversight in stating the only difference be- 
tween the native and the artificial soda alum to consist in this, that 
the former contains only twenty atoms of water, while the latter con- 
tains twenty five atoms, since besides the disagreement in crystalline 
form, of which he afterwards speaks, the difference alluded to by 
Berzelius of the rapid efflorescence of the artificial soda alum, and 
the absence of this property in the native mineral, undoubtedly exists. 
It appears, however, from the account of Berzelius, that the so 
called Milo Alum has since been subjected to a quantitative analysis. 
“On the return of Mr. Berggren from his travels in Turkey and 
Greece, he submitted to the Royal Academy, a specimen of this salt 
from Pyromeni (in Milo) ; which, before it was deposited in the col- 
lection, was analyzed by Hartwall, and was found to contain - 
Sulphuric acid, - - - - * = 40.31 — 
Alumine, - - - - - 14.98 
Potash, - - - - - 0.26 
Soda, - - - - ~ 1.13 
Magnesia, - - - - ce OS 
Muriatic acid, = - - - “omg 
Silica, a - ~ - - - 1.13 
Water, - - - - - 40.94 
Traces of oxide of iron, oxide of copper and ammonia. 
100.00 
From whence it clearly appears, that the mineral is a native crys- 
tallized sulphate of alumine, containing an accidental portion of potash 
and soda alum, of sulphate of magnesia, sulphate of iron .and sul- 
phate of copper.” 
