I. 



PAPERS OF THE PHTSICAL CLASS, 



I. Account of a Mineral /ro;^/ Strontian, and of a pe- 

 culiar Species of Earth which it contains. By Thomas 

 Charles Hope, M. D. F. R. S. Edin. P r of effor of Medicine 

 in the Uhiverfity of Glafgow, and Fhyfician to the Glafgow Royal 

 Infirmary. 



[Read Nov. 4. 1793.] 



THE mineral, of which I have the honour to lay an ac- 

 count before the Society, was brought to Edinburgh in 

 confiderable quantity about fix years ago by a dealer in foflils, 

 though indeed it had found its way, long before this period;^ 

 into one or two collections. 



Byfome it was niiftaken for fluor. Its great fpecific gravity, 

 its fibrous appearance, and its quality of forming an infoluble 

 fubftance with fulphuric acid, made it generally be received as 

 X the native carbonate of barytes. From a few experiments, I 

 was led at that time to entertain fome doubt of its being any 

 form of barytes ; and for feveral years, when I filled the che- 

 mical chair in the Univerfity of Glafgow, I ufed, when I exhi- 

 bited the mineral itfelf, to mention in my le<5\ures fuch of its 

 ' properties as I had difcovered, and which indicated that it did 

 not belong to the barytic genus. Towards the end of the year 



A 2 179^^ 



