WATER OF THE DEAD SEA. g^ 



named. This I had already done in the course of a mor6 

 general inquiry, which I began some time ago in conjunc- 

 tion with Mr. Tennant, and which has been of great use to 

 me on the present occasion. But as the particulars of that 

 series of experiments may probably be published at some 

 future period, I shall now confine myself to such general 

 statements as immediately belong to my subject. 



1. The composition of muriate of lime was ascertained Muriate of 



by pouring a known measure of muriatic acid on a piece of I.''"® ^°"^^^^^ "^ 



1 1 n , . t 1 «. • ^077 lime, 



pure maible ot known weight, and more than sutncient to 49'23 acidt 



saturate the acid. The remaining portion of marble being 

 then weighed, and the solution evaporated and heated to 

 redness, the proportions of acid and earth were easily de- 

 duced. But in order to draw such an inference, it was ne- 

 cessary to ascertain with precision the quantity of pure lime 

 in a given weight of marble, which, from a number of ex- 

 periments performed with great care by Mr. Tennant and 

 myself, appeared to be 56*1 parts of lime in 100 of marble. Marble con- 

 From a great variety of trials^ made with considerable atten-^ ^'"^ ^ ^"^^ 

 tion, and with due allowance for any accidental circum- 

 Gtances, muriate of lime appeared to consist of 50*77 parts 

 of lime, to 49*23 of muriatic acid. 



2. To ascertain the proportions of earth and acid in rau- Muriate of 

 riate of magnesia, required a synthetic process somewhat ^^S^^^sia 

 different. To a known weight of pure magnesia perfectly 

 calcined, a known quantity of acid* was added, and after 



the whole of the magnesia was dissolved, the remaining por- 

 tion of acid was saturated by marble. From the loss sus- contains of 



tained by the marble, and the known proportions of acid magnesia 43-99 



. . . . acid 3601. 



and. magnesia used, the composition of muriate of magne- 

 sia (supposed perfectly free from water) was deduced, and 

 the proportions resulting from several careful trials were 

 43*99 parts of magnesia, to 56OI of muriatic acid. 



3. Muriate of soda was analysed by various methods. But Muriate of 



• By a known quantity of acid is meant as much acid as will dissolve a 

 known weight of marble. In all these experiments the quantities of 

 acid were not weighed, but measured by means of a peculiar appara- 

 tus, and the real weights or intrinsic quantities of acid, corresponding 

 to the measures in question, were easily deduced from the results abo^e 

 mentiohed. 



the 



