GLAUBER SALT. 133 
burning coals, in the middle of the church, a glass vessel 
containing six pounds of common salt. Upon this he 
poured two pounds of sulphuric acid (24), precipitately 
withdrew, and shut all the doors. The gas soon filled 
the whole cathedral. After twelve hours the doors were 
thrown open, and a current of air was made to pass 
through to remove the gas, which had entirely destroyed 
every putrid odour. 
The following has been recommended as an eligible 
mode of fumigating rooms for the prevention of infec- 
tious disorders. Take six drachms of powdered nitre 
(206), and six drachms of sulphuric acid (spirit of vi- 
triol) ; and mix them in a tea-cup, by adding to the nitre 
one drachm at a time of the oil. During the prepara- 
tion the cup must be placed on a piece of heated iron, 
arid the mixture stirred with a tobacco pipe or piece of 
glass. As soon as the fumes arise, the cup must be 
moved about to different parts of the room or house 
that are to be fumigated. 
203. GLAUBER SALT, or SULPHAT of SODA, is 
a salt which consists of soda (200) in combination with sulphuric 
acid (24). It occurs in an efflorescent or powdery state, on the 
borders of salt lakes ; or, more commonly, in a state of solution, 
in certain mineral waters. 
This salt, which was originally discovered by a Ger- 
man chemist whose name was Glauber, has a nauseously 
bitter and saline taste. It is found, in an efflorescent 
state, on meadow ground at Eger, in Bohemia ; and on 
the walls of old galleries in mines, at Grenoble, in 
France. It is also abundant in the ashes of some kinds 
of vegetables,, especially of sea weeds. The waters of 
the Mediterranean yield a great proportion of it ; and 
the Glauber salt used for commercial purposes* is chiefly 
prepared from sea-water, or by decomposing common 
salt, in order to procure muriatic acid (29). It may 
also be obtained by saturating soda with sulphuric acid 
(24). 
The use of this salt in medicine is well known ; and, 
in some countries, it is employed as a substitute for soda 
