THE CULTIVATOR. 
127 
l precise number of the salts is not known.* Probably they 
» amount to nearly two thousand.! 
Wiiat method has been taken to distinguish the different salts ? 
Modern chemists have adopted a new nomenclature for 
! this purpose, which is as simple and ingenious as it is use- 
i fuL 
Hovj are the salts distinguished by this means ? 
In this nomenclature every salt has a double name, one 
part of which indicates its acid, and the other its base; so 
that, in a collection of many hundred different salts, the com¬ 
position of each is immediately known by its appellation. 
Can you explain the manner in which this is effected? 
All substances which are compounds of metallic oxides, 
earths, or alkalies with the sulphuric acid, are called sul¬ 
phates; with the muriatic acid, muriates; with the nitric 
acid, nitrates; with the carbonic acid, carbonates , 4*c. Sfc. 
Do the advantages which we derive from this nomenclature 
compensate for the inconvenience of changing the names of so 
many substances ? 
The new nomenclature, by its scientific classification of 
bodies, gives such a facility to the acquisition of chemical 
knowledge, and this alone would have been sufficient to 
have justified chemists in adopting it; but its contrivance for 
pointing out the nature of the substances bearing the new 
names, gives it advantages far surpassing every inconve¬ 
nience attending the alteration. 
Describe the nature of some of these advantages. 
In conformity with this plan the saline compound, for¬ 
merly called Glauber's salt, is now called sulphate of soda, 
because it is a combination of sulphuric acid and soda;! what 
was called gypsum, or plaster of Paris, a compound of lime 
and sulphuric acid, is now called sulphate of lime; in like 
manner, what was called green copperas is now sulphate of 
iron, that substance being a compound, not of copper, as the 
old name seemed to import, but of iron and sulphuric acid. 
Have the framers of this nomenclature been equally happy in 
the choice of names for the salts which are composed with the 
other acids ? 
Yes; the principle upon which the nomenclature is formed 
is such, that the composition of every salt is designated by 
an appropriate name with the utmost perspicuity. 
According to the new nomenclature, wluxt is the common culi¬ 
nary salt called ? 
Common salt is called muriate of soda;§ that is, a compo¬ 
sition formed of soda and muriatic acid. 
What do you call salt-pelre ? 
Salt-petre is called nitrate of potash; it being composed of 
potash and nitric acid. 
What is chalk now called 1 
Chalk, being a compound of lime and carbonic acid, is 
called carbonate of lime. 
You have said. that these bodies were fnntierly called neutral 
salts,—ichy is not that term now applied as before 1 
Because no salt can strictly be called neutral, except such 
in wffiich the acid is completely neutralized by the base, and 
the base by the acid, so as to be mutually saturated.by each 
other. || 
Is riot that the case with all saline compounds ? 
No: some have an excess of acid, as cream of tartar and 
most of the metallic salts; others have an excess of base, as 
common borax. 
How are such salts distinguished ? 
When a salt is found to contain an excess of acid, the pre¬ 
position super is generally prefixed to its name; hut when 
it does not contain a sufficiency of acid to saturate the base, 
the preposition sub is added; thus we say super-tartrate of 
potash, and sub-borate of soda. 
Some salts are formed with acids not fully oxygenized, as the 
sulphurous and phosphorous acids: how are such salts distin¬ 
guished ? 
All salts that are composed with acids ending in ous, take 
an ending in ite, instead of ate; as sulphite of lime, or phos- 
phite of potash/[ * * * * _ 
classes which are found native. These will be noticed in 
their proper places as we proceed. 
* Foureroy reckons that there are 134 species of salts; but 
how many distinct salts there are he has not calculated. 
Having, says he, 32 acids, and 57 bases, it would appear at 
first sight that there must be 1824 salts: but there are several 
of the metallic oxides which cannot combine with many of 
the acids; which is also the case with silica, one of the 
earths. However, to compensate for this deficiency, there 
are several acids capable of combining with tw T o bases at 
once. These are called triple salts. Besides these there 
are super-salts, and sub-salts. 
f Should a young person express his surprise that the 
number of one class of bodies should be so great, he may be 
told that nature seems to aim at variety in all her produc¬ 
tions. Samt Pierre informs us that there are 6000 species 
of flies, and 760 different butterflies. Ray computed the 
number of species of insects at ten thousand. There are 
above 1000 different species of beetles known to exist in 
Great Britain only, independent of what are found in various 
other parts of the world. 
! It is necessary to remark, that when an acid is combin¬ 
ed with two bases, the names of both are subjoined to that 
of the acid. Thus we say sulphate of alumina and potash, 
and tartrate of potash and soda. 
§ Formerly the word salt was confined to muriate of soda. 
No other substance was then known as a salt. 
|| The propriety of restricting the use of the term neutral 
will appear, if we consider that we have some bases that 
combine with more than one dose of acid, and thereby form 
salts which differ in their appearance and properties. Thus 
we have sulphate of potash, and wper-sulphatet of potash. 
The one is a neutral salt, the other a salt with excess of 
acid. These salts are however now called sulphate of pot¬ 
ash, and bi-sulphate of potash. These are more appropriate 
terms, because 100 parts of potash combine with 82 parts of 
sulphuric acid to form the sulphate; and with twice that 
quantity or 164 of acid to compose the bi-sulphate. In like 
manner we now speak of carbonates and bi-carbonates, and 
of oxalates and bi-oxalates. 
f When sulphur is fully saturated with oxygen, it forms 
what is called sulphuric acid, and the salts composed with 
this acid are called sulphates. But when sulphur is partially 
oxygenized, an acid is produced called sulphurous acid, and 
the salts formed with it are called sulphites. 
The new nomenclature enables us to distinguish between 
Having shown the nature of the present chemical nomencla 
here as far as respects the salts, it will now be necessary to en¬ 
ter on the consideration of each genus separately: — Therefore, 
What are the generic characters of the sulphates? 
The sulphates have generally a bitter taste; are always 
decomposed by the agency of a solution of barytes; and most 
of them afford sulphurets when heated red hot with charcoal. 
Can you enumerate a few of the principal sulphuric salts ? 
Among the first of them, are sulphate of barytes,*' sulphate 
of strontites, sulphate of potash, sulphate of soda,f sulphate 
of lime,| sulphate of magnesia,§ sulphate of ammonia, and 
sulphate of alumina and potash, commonly called alum. 
Besides these, sulphates of the earths, glucina, zirconia, and 
yttria have been formed, and their properties ascertained, 
but neither of them has been found useful. 
What are the generic characteristics of the sulphites ? 
The sulphites have always a disagreeable sulphurous taste 
and smell; they are decomposed or changed by the nitric, 
muriatic, and some other acids which do not affect sulphates; 
if exposed to fire they yield sulphur, and become sulphates: 
and even by mere exposure to the action of the atmosphere, 
if moistened with water, they absorb oxygen, and are con¬ 
verted into sulphates. These salts when pure are not de¬ 
composable by a solution of barytes, as is the ease with the 
sulphates. 
Can you enumerate some of the sulphurous salts ? 
The principal are the sulphites of barytes, of lime, of po¬ 
tash, of soda, of ammonia, of magnesia, and of alumina. 
What are the generic characteristics of the muriates ? 
The muriates, when acted upon by concentrated sulphu¬ 
ric acid, yield muriatic acid in the visible form of vapor. 
They are among the most volatile, and yet are the least de¬ 
composable by lire, of all the salts; not being perceptibly al¬ 
tered by combustibles, even when assisted by an intense 
heat. • They are soluble in water, and are often dissolved in 
it for the purpose of raising the boiling point of that fluid. 
They evolve chlorine gas when treated with nitric acid. 
Can you enumerate the chief of the muriatic salts ? 
The principal salts in the muriatic class, are the muriates 
of barytes, of potash, of soda,|| of strontites, of lime, of mag¬ 
nesia, of ammonia, and the muriate of alumina. 
What are the generic characteristics of the ii VP ERO XV muri¬ 
ates ? 
The hyperoxymuriates yield very pure oxygen gas by the 
action of fire, and are thus converted into common muriates; 
and the stronger acids expel the hyperoxymuriatic acid from 
these salts, without the assistance of heat. When mixed 
with combustibles, they detonate with great violence, by 
mere friction or percussion, and sometimes spontaneously. 
They are all soluble in water, and some of them dissolve 
readily in alcohol. 
Can you enumerate the hyperoxymuriates ? 
.. — x' - !.T™„.„miiriatas of potash, of soda, of 
lime, of magnesia, of barytes, and or strounies. 
What are the generic characteristics of the nitrates ? 
The nitrates yield oxygen gas mingled with nitrogen gas 
by the action of fire; they give out a white vapor of nitric 
acid when acted on by concentrated sulphuric acid; tnl, 
when mixed with combustible substances, produce, at a red 
heat, inflammation and detonation. They are soluble in wa¬ 
ter, and capable of crystallization; and when heated with 
muriatic acid, chlorine is exhaled from that acid in the form 
of gas.___ 
acids which are partially oxygenized, and those which con¬ 
tain a maximum of oxygen. This is of great importance, 
because the properties of the salts formed with these acids 
vary as much as the acids themselves. The salts formed 
with acids ending in ic are generally permanent; whereas 
salts formed with the same bases combined with acids end¬ 
ing in ous are seldom permanent, but by exposure to the air 
attract oxygen, and are changed into salts of the former kind. 
* Sulphate of barytes, or ponderous spar as it has been 
called, is abundant in different parts of the earth. Sulphate 
of strontites is found near Bristol and elsewhere in abun¬ 
dance. Sulphate of potash, sulphate of soda, and sulphate 
of ammonia are prepared by chemical manufacturers in many 
of their processes. Sulphate of lime, sulphate of magnesia, 
and sulphate of alumina are native productions. Sulphate 
of ammonia has also been found native in the neighborhood 
of volcanoes, and sometimes occurs among the lavas of AEtna 
and Vesuvius. This native production is known to mine¬ 
ralogists by the name of mascagnine. 
f Crystallized sulphate of soda is composed of about 19) 
per cent of soda, 24f sulphuric acid, and 56 water. The 
fused salt is a compound of 44 soda and 56 sulphuric acid. 
! In America this substance has been long used as a man¬ 
ure; it is coming into use in this way also in some districts 
in England. It is plaster of Paris. 
§ Sulphate of magnesia is a compound of 33 magnesia and 
67 sulphuric acid. It occurs native in the quicksilver mines 
of Idria, and on the surface of the soil in some districts of 
Spain. A native combination of sulphate of magnesia and 
sulphate of soda is found in a crystallized stale at Sedlitz. 
|| The most important salt in this class is muriate of soda, 
which consists of 46.5 of dry muriatic acid and 53.5 of soda. 
According to the new theory, however, this salt must be 
considered to be a true muriate of soda only while it remains 
in an aqueous solution; for when it is reduced to dryness, 
the muriatic acid and the soda become both decomposed, and 
the hydrogen of the muriatic acid uniting with the oxygen 
of the soda, they both pass off in the form of water, while 
the chlorine of the muriatic acid unites with the metallic 
base of the soda to form chloride of sodium, which is the 
true character of our common salt when in a dry state. 
Mr. le Goux, in his history of the cocoa-nut-tree, tells us 
that the inhabitants of those parts of Hindoostan and China 
which border on the sea-coast sprinkle their rice-fields with 
sea-water, and use no other manure; and that in the interior 
of these countries they sprinkle the lands with salt before 
they are tilled; Kid that this practice has been followed for 
ages with the greatest advantage. 
In a conversation with the late Mr. Ilollinshead, a gentle¬ 
man who spent many years of a valuable life in making ex¬ 
periments on the employment of salt in agriculture, and in 
endeavoring to procure an act of parliament to sanction its 
use, I was informed that from one bushel to six bushel to an 
acre of pasture land always makes such land more produc¬ 
tive; but that a larger quantity would for two or three years 
afterwards render it actually steril. 
Can you enumerate some of the nitric salts ? 
The more noted are the nitrates of potash,* of barytes, of 
soda, of strontites, of lime, of magnesia, and of ammonia. 
What are the generic characteristics of the carbonates ? 
All the alkaline carbonates are soluble in water, while 
those of the earths and metals are nearly insoluble, unless 
the acid be in excess; and they all effervesce, and give out 
the carbonic acid, when treated with the sulphuric and some 
other acids, t Some of the earthy carbonates are also de¬ 
composed by mere heat without the intervention of any other 
substance, as is exemplified in burning lime; in which pro¬ 
cess the carbonic acid is expelled, and the base remains pure. 
Endeavor to enumerate the principal carbonates, or bases 
combined with this acid. 
The carbonates of barytes, of strontites, of lime,! °f mag¬ 
nesia, of potash, § of soda, || and of ammonia, If are the prin¬ 
cipal salts of this class; and that of lime is probably the 
most abundant in nature. 
What are the generic characteristics of the phosphates? 
1’he phosphates are fusible either into opaque or transpa¬ 
rent glass; are phosphorescent at a high temperature; are 
soluble in nitric acid without effervescence; and are precipi- 
table from their solutions in that acid by lime water. They 
are partially decomposed by sulphuric acid, but neither the 
earthy nor alkaline phosphates are decomposable by being 
heated with combustible matter. 
Which are the chief phosphoric salts ? 
The chief of them are phosphates of lime,** of soda, and of 
ammonia, ft and the phosphate of soda and ammonia, formerly 
called microcosmie salt.!! 
What are the generic characteristics of the phosphites. 
The phosphites yield a phosphorescent flame when heated; 
and in a strong fire give out a portion of phosphorous, by 
which they become converted into phosphates. By a very 
strong heat they are fusible into glass; but if heated with 
nitre they detonate, and become converted into phosphates. 
A similar change is also effected in them, if they are treated 
with chlorine or nitric acid. 
Endeavor to enumerate the principal phosphites. 
The chief of them are the phosphites of lime, of barytes, 
of potash, of soda, and of ammonia. 
What are the generic characteristics of the fluates ? 
The fluates are decomposed by sulphuric acid, yielding a 
vapor which corrodes glass, and which, when condensed in 
water, forms liquid fluoric acid. They are not decomposa- 
* Nitrate of potash (salt-petre) is generated by nature in 
abundance, particularly in the east: in some districts it ap¬ 
pears in an efflorescence on the surface of the soil, from 
whence, at a certain season of the year, it is regularly swept 
off two or three times a week, and as repeatedly renewed: 
it appears that nothing is necessary for its production but 
the presence of lime, animal and vegetable matters, heat, and 
a^o^gheric air. The atmosphere furnishes the acid; 
Notwithstanding the proctl|taiS, ; ! 1 0 J known with certainty, 
lected in the East Indies, it has been carcufatedTYLittffiWj- 
thirds of the whole are annually sent into China and other 
parts of Asia to make artificial fire works. The fire works of 
the Chinese exceed those of all other nations in variety and 
beauty. 
At Apulia near Naples, there is a natural nitre bed, in 
which the earth contains 40 per cent of nitre. 
In Switzerland, the farmers extract an abundant quantity 
of very fine salt-petre from the earth under the stalls of the 
cattle. The urine of quadrupeds contains much potash, and 
this acquires nitric acid from the atmosphere. 
Nitre is used in large quantities in the manufacture of 
gunpowder, every 100 parts of which are usually composed 
of about 76 parts nitre, 15 charcoal, and nine sulphur. 
f There are eleven species of carbonic salts at present 
known; only four, however, of the native earths are found 
combined with this acid, viz: lime, barytes, strontites, and 
magnesia. 
! Carbonate of lime is not soluble in water, unless the 
water itself be charged with carbonic acid: it is by this 
means that nature effects a solution of calcareous masses, to 
form stalactites, and other beautiful incrustations. Native 
carbonate of lime is a compound of lime 56, carbonic acid 
44. 
0 There are two carbonates of potash, the one consisting 
of 68 potash and 32 carbonic acid, possessing alkaline proper¬ 
ties; and the bi-carbonate, which is formed with a double 
portion of carbonic acid, and is incapable of changing the co¬ 
lour of tumeric paper. 
|| Crystallized carbonate of soda consists of soda 21), car¬ 
bonic acid 15;), and water 63. The dry carbonate of soda 
consists of 58) of soda, and 41) of carbonic acid. Whereas 
the bi-carbonate is a compound of 37 per cent of soda, 52) 
of carbonic acid, and 10| water. 
IT Carbonate of ammonia, or the common smelling salt, is 
now much used by the bakers as a substitute for yeast. It 
consists of one volume of carbonic acid gas and two of am- 
moniacal gas. The bi-c.arbonate is composed of one volume 
of each gas, and consequently is less pungent than the for¬ 
mer. The first is composed of 56 parts of carbonic acid and 
44 parts of ammonia; the latter of 72 of carbonic acid and 
28 of ammonia. 
** Phosphate of lime is found in bones, milk, and some 
other animal matters. It is white, tasteless, and insoluble 
in water. Entire mountains in Spain are formed of this 
salt. It is composed according to Dr. Wollaston of 48.5 lime 
and 51.5 of phosphoric acid. 
ft Phosphate of lime exists also in the farina of wheat. La 
Grange remarks, that a person who eats a pound of farina a 
day, will swallow 3 pounds 6 ounces 4 drachms and 44 grains 
of phosphate of lime m a year. It is a curious fact, that the 
grain of wheat should contain phosphate of lime, while the 
straw, which was not intended for our food, should contain 
carbonate of lime only. 
It is remarkable, that though phosphate of lime is always 
found in the urine of adults, this salt is not evacuated by in¬ 
fants. The rapid formation of the bones, in the first periods 
of life, requires that there should be no waste of any of the 
phosphoric salts; and nature, ever provident, has provided 
accordingly. 
!! Phosphate of ammonia is found in urine, and is also pre¬ 
pared by art, to be used as an ingredient in making pastes, 
to imitate precious stones. It is one of the best fluxes for 
experiments with the blowpipe. 
