1813.] Water of the Dead Sea, S9 



the first. The muriate of soda was dissolved in water, and tried 

 with carbonate of soda and muriate of barytes. No precipita- 

 tion ensued : a proof that it contained no sulphate of lime. 



In 100 parts of the water brought by the Abbe Mariti from 

 the lake of Asphaltum, or Dead Sea-, and examined by me^ 

 there were contained, therefore. 



Muriate of magnesia 24*20 



Muriate of lime lO'GO 



Muriate of soda 7*80 



42-60 



(C) 



The result of these experiments approaches that of Macquer, 

 Lavoisier, and Sage. But the analysis of Dr. Marcet is a good 

 deal different, owing in all probability to the complicated pro- 

 cesses and calculations which he followed. 



The specific gravity of the water, as stated by the French 

 chemists, agrees likewise very nearly with mine. The sum of 

 the saUne ingredients, as stated by these gentlemen, exceeds 

 what I obtained by 1|- grains. This was probably owing to their 

 being in a less degree of dryness; for it is well known, that the 

 two earthy muriates absorb water from the atmosphere while 

 cooling. 



The somewhat smaller specific gravity found by Dr. Marcet 

 renders it probable that the water which he examined was col- 

 lected not far from the place where one of the streams of the 

 river Jordan falls into the Dead Sea. 



To give an example of the difference of the ingredients of 

 this water from those of the ocean, I make choice of the speci- 

 men of sea water which Sparrman drew in the month of July^ 

 1776, in the latitude of the Canary Islands, from a depth of 60 

 fathoms, and which Bergman analysed. He found its specific 

 gravity 1-0289; and a Swedish kanne = 100 Swedish cubic 



inches gave him 



Muriate of soda 13fl3 grains 



Muriate of magnesia 380 



Sulphate of lime 45 



1818* 



The principal difference between the water of the ocean and 

 that of the Dead Sea, consists in this remarkable circumstance^ 

 that in the latter the earthy muriates, which give the water its 

 great sharpness and bitterness, exceed the proportion of common 

 salt 4i times; while, on the contrary, the common salt exceeds 

 the others nearly as much in the water of the ocean. 



* Bergmam^s Opwsc» ¥ol, i, p. 18L 



