Remarks on the Crude Sodas of Commerce. 41 



Art. IX. — Some Remarks on the Crude Sodas of Commerce; 

 by John Revere, M. D. Lecturer on Chemistry, applied to 

 the Arts-, at the Maryland Institute for the promotion of 

 the Arts and Manufactures. 



TO THE EDITOR. 



New York, October 15, 1827. 



Sir — In a course of lectures on chemistry, applied to the 

 arts, I had occasion to collect the facts contained in the fol- 

 lowing paper. To those who are familiar with the science of 

 chemistry, there will be little that is new. I have been in- 

 duced to offer these remarks to your Journal, rather from its 

 title, than the general scope of its contents, which I observe 

 are almost purely scientific* The importance of this sub- 

 stance in the useful arts, the ignorance observed among man- 

 ufacturers and dealers respecting its nature, and the shame- 

 ful impositions sometimes practised, constitute its chief claim 

 to your attention. The facts stated may be relied upon, as 

 they have been established by repeated experiments. 



John Revere, M. D. 



Crude soda, in whatever manner procured, is generally 

 known in this country, among manufacturers and merchants, 

 by the name of barilla. But as the value of the article 

 depends very much upon the former circumstance, it will be 

 proper to observe, that it is obtained as an article of mer- 

 chandize, chiefly in four different modes, viz. 1, in a saline 

 form, on the surface of the earth, and from the water of cer- 

 tain lakes ; 2, from the incineration of certain land plants ; 

 3, from the combustion of marine plants ; and 4, from the 

 decomposition of sea salt by chemical processes. 



The crude soda, formerly known by the name of natron, 

 is found in considerable quantities in Egypt, the interior of 

 Africa, and in South America. It exists in lakes, and in par- 

 ticular districts, and forms an efflorescence upon the surface 

 of the earth during the dry season. I am not aware that in 

 this form, it is known as an article of commerce, in the Uni- 

 ted States. 



The most valuable of the crude sodas known in this coun- 

 try, are obtained by the incineration of several kinds of 



* The Editor would be happy to receive more communications on the Arts, 

 while he would not wish to lower the character of this Journal for Science. 

 Vol. XIV.— No. 1. 6 



