[ 32 ? ] 
‘‘ ter, nor did it form a; pellicle of various colours- 
“ on its furface, as did the water diftilled by Mr. 
“ Appleby’s procefs And I find, page of my 
book on this fubjedt, that lime of oyfler-fhells had 
the fame good effedt, but required two diftillations ; 
I might then ufc too fmall a quantity of that lime. 
Hence it is probable, that the chalk, the lime, the 
lime in the lapis infernalis, and the lime in Dr. But- 
ler’s foap-lees, feize on and fix not only the bittern 
fait, but alfo the bitumen of the fea- water, as we 
learn from the like effedt in the purification of the 
fait of hartfhorn. That the faline fpirit arifes chiefly 
from the bittern fait, and not from the more perfedl 
fea-falt, is probable from hence, viz* When I di- 
ftilled three gallons of common water, made as fait 
as fea- water with common fait ; no fpirit of fait 
arofe, even though the difiillation was carried fo far 
as to leave the fait, though very damp, to lie in 
heaps, and it was incrufied on the fides of the ftill,-, 
for about three inches from the bottom. 
32. It is a confiderable further advantage, that 
water thus diflilled by ventilation, being thereby re- 
plete and frefhened with air, has for prefent ufe 2l> 
more agreeable tafte than water diftilled without ven- 
tilation, which requires the fianding a longer time 
to have its more difagreeable adufi: tafiie go off. And 
as the volatile oil of pepper-mint does arife on the 
wings of the. ventilating air during the difiillation; 
fo alfo may that part of the bitumen, which is vola- 
tilized by heat ; as alfo the volatile urinous falts of 
the fea-water, which arife from animal fubftances^, 
be fublimed in the fame manner, .. 
