3(* 



tfATER OF THE DEAD SEA. 



the same salts, when perfectly deprived of water, will be 

 seen from the subsequent results. I now pass on to the che- 

 mical examination of the water. 

 By nitrate of ^^ ^q Iqq grains of the Dead Sea water a few drops of 

 ^^^ "' muriate of barytes being added, a precipitate was obtained, 



which, after being well washed and exposed to a low red 

 heat on a piece of laminated platina, weighed 0*09 grain, 

 which, allowing for the unavoidable loss attending the mani- 

 pulation of such very minute quantities, may safely be called 

 O'l grain. This residue, on being heated with fluat of 

 time, instantly ran into a globule, and was evidently sul- 

 phate of barytes. 

 By muriate of 5. To another portion of the Dead Sea water, weighing 

 silver. 25O grains, a solution of nitrate of silver being added till it 



ceased to produce any precipitate, a quantity of luna cornea 

 was obtained, which after careful edulcoration and exposure 

 to a red heat, weighed l63*2 grains, a quantity equivalent, 

 according to the proportions above stated (sect. II, 3), to 

 31*09 grains of real acid. 

 Muriate of am- 6. To the remaining solution a little muriate of ammonia 

 monia added. ^^^ added, in order to remove the unavoidable small excess 

 of silver, and this new precipitate was separated and well 

 edulcorated. 

 Oxalate of am- .7^ Tj^g clear fluid, which had been much increased in 

 bulk by these edulcorations, being concentrated to about 3 

 ounces, a strong solution of oxalate of ammonia, warm, but 

 not nearly boiling*, was ddded I0 it, by which a precipitate 

 was obtained, which collected and washed with the usual 

 precautions, and after deducting 0"076 grains of liraef for 



at any rate no perfect accuracy can be relied on respecting this kind of 

 limited desiccaiitn, as its completion depends in a great degree on the 

 phape of the' vessei, the thickness of the stratum of salt, d'c. 



• The precipitates of lime by jn^alate of ammonia subside more 

 readily, if the solutions be used warm ; but when concentrated and 

 heated to the boiling point, this test acts also in some degree on magne- 

 sia, a circumstance which in the present instance was to be particularly 

 oYoided. 



■\ The proportion of lime in selenite,and of acid in sulphate of barytes, 

 are taken from a paper of Mr. Chenevix, in Nicholson's Journal, Vol. 11, 

 in which they are stated to be jG-4 of lime in 100 parts of selenite, and 

 24 ^jarts of acid in 100 parts of sulphate of barytes, 



the 



moma. 



