696 Examination of a Mineral [Dec. 



VI. — Examination of a Mineral Exudation from Ghazni. By H. 



PlDDINGTON, Esq. 



[Among the specimens of minerals and drugs received from Syed Kera'mat 

 Ali, and collected by him while on Government employ in C&bul, as noticed in 

 the Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, 7th October, 1835, a bottle containing 

 a mineral exudation from Ghazni excited attention ; it was labelled by Lieutenant 

 Conolly, 



" Rock Chetny which, according to the Syed's informant, oozes out of a 



fissure in a rock at Ghizni. Native appellation Mumia ? A. C." 



Having placed this in Mr. Piddington's hands for chemical analysis, we now 

 hasten to publish the account he has been so kind as to draw up of the results of 

 his examination. — Et).] 



I. Description. An unctious, viscid mass, semi-transparent, of a 



dirtv light-brown colour, interspersed with small dark-brown and 

 black specks ; and mixed with angular fragments of calcareous rock, 

 varying from the size of a lentil to that of a horse-bean. 



The smell faint and sickly, and very peculiar. The taste pungent ; 

 when diluted with water sickly. 



II. — Tests. 1. Solution in cold distilled water is turbid and clogs 

 the filter ; does not affect litmus or turmeric papers. 



2. When boiled the same. The residue contained calcareous stones 

 with a little siliceous matter, and a coarse bran-like powder, which 

 when freed from the calcareous matter by dilute muriatic acid, proved 

 to be the remains of half decomposed dung ; evidently, by comparison 

 with fresh dung, that of birds, and probably of pigeons or bats, &c. 

 I recognised in it minute fragments of straw, pith, shells of seeds, 

 &c. The brown and black specks were minute seeds, quite perfect, 

 or fragments of a carbonaceous looking crust. 



l s 



3. Boiled in highly rectified alcohol, silky crystals were left in the 

 mass, which was now tough and pasty : these crystals were nitrate of 

 soda. The alcohol evaporated was found to yield nearly pure nitrate 

 of lime, mixed with a little fatty and very fcetid animal matter. 



4. The solutions were tested by — 



Oxalate of ammonia, giving plentiful precipitate. Lime. 



Muriate of barytes; "J slight cloud. i Trace of sulphates 



nitrate of silver ; / ° \ and muriates. 



["nearly solidified") 

 Sulphuric acid to "I J it, and evolved VNJtric acid, 



concentrated solution ; J . fumes of nitric ■ 



Lacid. J 



Gold leaf boiled in solution, "1 r , -, XT; , • • , 



.. ,.^, . .. ., , , .. > dissolved. Nitric acid, 



with a little muriatic acid added,; J 



Muriate of platina ; no effect. No potass. 



Tincture of galls; no effect. No iron. 



Nitro-muriate of gold, 1 „ XT ,, 



* , , j ? no effect. No albumen. 



Deuto-chlonde mercury ; J 



Tannin ; no effect. No gelatine. 



