C S96 3 
XVI. Analysis of the Waters of the Dead Sea and the River 
Jordan. By Alexander Marcet, M.D. one of the Physicians 
to Guy’s Hospital. Communicated by Smithson Tennant, Esq „ 
F.R.S. 
Read June 18, 1807. 
The Dead Sea, or Lake Asphaltite, is situated in the southern 
part of Syria, near Jerusalem, and occupies an extent of about 
60 or 70 miles in length, and from 10 to 20 in breadth. This 
lake has been from time immemorial celebrated on account 
of the intense saltness of its waters, which is such as to pre- 
vent either animals or vegetables from living in it, a peculiarity 
from which it has derived its name. It appears that this saline 
quality has existed in the earliest ages ; for independently of 
the frequent allusions made to it in the Scriptures, we find it de- 
scribed by several ancient authors, amongst others by Strabo,* 
who wrote during the reign of Augustus, by Tacitus, - f* 
and by Pliny. X Amongst modern travellers, Pococke,§ 
Volney,|| and others, have noticed and described this singular 
spot. 
But although the most obvious peculiarities have for a long 
time been in some degree known, the only chemical analysis 
I have been able to find on record is that which was published 
* Str abonis Geogr. vol- ii. p. 1 107. f Tacitus, lib. v. Hist. cap. vi. 
% Pli n 11 lib. v. cap. xv. and xvi. § Pococke’s Travels in 1743, ii. p. 34. 
)) VcLKEY, 1. 201 . 
