DOLOMITES FROM THE AUSTRIAN TYROL AND 
OTHER LOCALITIES 
NICHOLAS KNIGHT 
Deodat Dolomieu was born in Dolomieu, France, June 23, 1750, 
and died November 16, 1801. In infancy he was created a 
Knight of Malta. He seemed precocious in many directions. 
Whgn nineteen years of age he quarreled with a companion and 
killed him. He was condemned to death for the crime, but after 
nine months’ imprisonment, he was pardoned on account of his 
youth. He early became interested in geology and mineralogy, 
and wrote some important treatises on his favorite subjects, es- 
pecially while residing in Metz, the interesting old capital of Lor- 
raine. 
He discovered dolomite while making an extended tour and 
observations among the Alps in 1789-90. The mineral was first 
described by him in 1791, and the name was bestowed upon it in 
honor of the discoverer. 
The dolomite mineral and rock are important from both a 
theoretical and practical standpoint. Much work has been done up- 
on them, and the mineral can be artificially produced by a number 
of different methods. 
Marignac was probably the first to make it artificially. His 
method was to heat calcium carbonate and a solution of magne- 
sium chloride to 200 degrees under a pressure of fifteen atmo- 
spheres. In a closed gun barrel, J. Dorocher heated porous 
limestone and dry magnesium chloride to about 1200°. The 
vapor of the chloride permeated the porous limestone, which was 
partly transformed into dolomite. In a similar way, it has been 
suggested, the heat in the neighborhood of volcanoes may pro- 
duce the mineral and rock. 
One of the simplest methods was devised by C. Sainte-Claire 
Deville. He saturated chalk with a solution of magnesium 
chloride, and heated the mixture upon a sand-bath. More or less 
of the materials change into dolomite. 
By heating powdered calcite with magnesium sulphate to 200 
degrees in a closed tube, von Morlot obtained a mixture of 
dolomite and calcium sulphate. It has been suggested by Haid- 
