Am.  ./our.  Pliarm. ) 
June,  1885.  j 
Bora.v  Deposits  in  California  and  Nevada. 
305 
such  space.  In  the  deepest  iniid  stratum  the  small  crystals  disappeared 
and  immense  ones,  often  7  inches  and  four  inches  thick,  were  disco- 
vered. These  needed  only  solution  and  recrystallization  to  render  them 
fit  for  market. 
About  1868,  operations  ceased  at  Borax  Lake,  but  continued  at 
Hachinhama  till  1873,  producing  annually  250,000  lbs.  In  1866  the 
borax  still  remaining  was  estimated  at  54,000,000  lbs. 
In  San  Bernardino  deposits  of  tincal  and  boraled  sands  have  atti  acted 
much  attention.  The  product  is  of  the  finest  quality,  and  its  manu- 
facture has  been  highly  profitable.  The  marsh  is  twelve  miles  long 
and  eight  miles  wide,  and  is  worked  by  several  English  and  Ameiicau 
companies. 
Borax  minerals  are  found  throughout  this  region  in  a  great  variety 
of  forms,  as  native  borax  or  tincal,  as  boracic  acid,  as  ulexite  or  borate 
of  lime,  as  pricute,  pandermite  and  colemnite.  Of  all  these  the  silky 
white  balls  of  ulexite,  often  one  foot  in  diameter,  compressible,  cotton- 
like, and  similar  to  the  Tarapacji  produce,  is  the  most  attractive  form. 
The  .crude  boraxes  of  the  Pacific  Coast  are  usually  of  high  Cjuality, 
but  the  chief  problem  is  to  economize  labor  and  cost  of  transportation, 
and  the  effort  is  being  made  to  produce  the  highly  concentrated  "  boracic 
acid  glass,"  1  lb.  of  which  is  equal  to  3  lbs,  of  common  borax.  The 
Basin  of  Nevada,  in  which  the  alkaline  lakes  or  marshes  of  Mono, 
Owens,  Walker,  Carson,  Humboldt,  are  situated,  is  covered  in  many 
parts  with  dry  efflorescent  salts,  washed  in  the  course  of  ages  from  the 
soda  feldspar  of  the  volcanic  rocks  and  ridges  of  yellow  lava  which 
cover  the  country  for  miles.  The  waters  of  the  lakes  are  heavy,  appear 
like  thin  oil,  smell  like  soap,  possess  great  detersive  qualities,  are  caustic 
as  potash,  and  (easily  saponify. 
Teel's  Marsh,  in  Nevada,  is  the  most  productive  borax  field  on  the 
Pacific  Coast,  and  its  tincal  deposit  covers  ten  square  miles  of  surface. 
Dr.  Le  Conte  visited  Rhode's  Marsh  in  1882,  and  found  it  to  contain 
chemically  pure  common  salt,  borax  in  three  forms,  sulphate  of  soda 
and  carbonate  of  soda,  all  in  great  quantities,  and  within  a  space  of 
three  miles  square. — Fhar.  Jour,  and  Trans.,  xipril  25,  1885,  p.  874. 
Cannaf,is  Indica  as  Local  Anaesthetic. — Dr.  A.  Aaronson  recom- 
mends (lilutedtinctureof  Cannabis  Indica  as  a  local  anaesthetic  in  dentistry. 
It  is  mixed  with  three  or  five  parts  of  water  and  frequently  applied  to  the 
?j::inns  and  cavities  during:  the  operation. — Paeif.  Med.  and  Stirg.  Jour., 
April,  IS.So. 
2) 
