[ S57 ] 
tilizcs the Soil ; it arifes in Vegetables 5 and from 
them is convey'd into Animals 5 fo that it may well 
be efteemed the univerfal Condiment of Nature. 
Naturalifts, oblerving the great Variety of Forms 
under which this Salt appears, have thought fit to 
rank the feveral Kinds of it under certain general 
Clafics, diftinguifhing it mod ufually into Rock or 
follil Salt, Sea-Salt, and Brine or Fountain Salt : To 
Which may be added others of thofe muriatic Salts, 
which are found in yegetable or animal Subfiancesi 
Thefe feveral Kinds of common Salt often differ 
from each other in their outward Form and Appear- 
ance, or in fuch accidental Properties as they derive 
from the heterogeneous Subftances with which they 
are mixed y but, when perfectly pure, they have all 
the' fame Qualities 5 fo that Che miffs, by the ex- 
adcfl Inquiries, have not been able to difeover any 
cfTcntial Difference between them. In this our Au- 
thor agrees with the celebrated f Hoffman. Leav- 
ing therefore thefe Divifions to thofe whom they 
may concern, it may for the prefent Purpofe be 
more proper to diftinguifh common Salt after a dif- 
ferent Manner into the three following Kinds; viz. 
into Rock or native Salt, Bay-Salt, and white Salt. 
^ y By 
* Hojfman de falinibus Hallenf. cap. viii. 
Ut igitur noftra hac de re innotefcat fententia, hanc interponL 
mus ; ficuti in tota univerfi hujus orhis compage, . una tantum eft 
aqua, unus per fermentationem paratus fpiritus ardens, unus Mer- 
curius, unum volatile fal, unura acidum nitrofum ac vitriolicum 
fal ; ita, pari ratione unum idemque fal commune eft. Sed quum 
plures alienee, terreae, lapidofae, fulphureae, calcariae minerales ac 
pingues particulae cum hifee corporibus connubium ineant, diverfa 
cxinde emergit eorum indoles ; et fal commune idem femper obti- 
neret ingenium, fiquis pingues terreas, calcareafque partes ab illo 
artificiofe fegregaret. 
A a a 
