122 
MATA. 
following  plan  :  As  the  muriate  of  soda  is  taken  out  of  the  pans 
it  should  be  placed  in  a  strong  tub  with  a  kind  of  filter  bottom — 
this  tub  to  be  provided  with  a  tight-fitting  top,  through  which  a 
pipe  passes  for  the  admittance  of  steam.  After  the  muriate  of 
soda  has  been  put  in  this  tub  and  the  top  secured,  the  steam  is 
blown  through  the  mass  for  15  minutes,  and  the  liquor  run  off  by 
means  of  a  tap  placed  at  the  bottom  of  the  tub.  This  liquor  may 
be  used  for  dissolving  the  raw  material,  and  all  over  and  above 
that  required  for  this  purpose  must  be  evaporated  down  along 
with  the  mother  liquor.  By  all  means,  the  manufacturer,  if  he 
is  not  capable  of  making  his  own  analyses,  should  have  analyses 
made  from  time  to  time  of  his  muriate  of  soda;  he  will  then  be 
able  to  form  the  best  opinion  of  what  he  is  doing,  and  thus  avoid 
any  unnecessary  loss.  Owing  to  the  low  price  of  saltpetre,  very 
close  working  is  required  to  make  the  business  pay,  and  adulte- 
ration is  coming  much  into  vogue.  The  adulteration  is  practised 
by  the  manufacturer,  and  the  saltpetre  also  meets  with  sophisti- 
cation after  it  leaves  his  hands.  The  most  glaring  adulteration 
is  common  salt  and  alum.  The  muriate  of  soda  from  saltpetre 
making,  is  cleansed  and  mixed  in  the  proportion  of  2  cwt.  to  the 
ton  of  petre.  In  the  process  of  refining  the  saltpetre,  from  2  to 
3  cwt.  of  alum  is  sometimes  used.  Nitrate  of  potash  adulterated 
like  this  will  not  of  course  do  for  the  gunpowder  makers,  but  for 
many  other  purposes  this  adulteration  often  passes  unnoticed. — 
Lond.  CJiem.  News,  Nov.  1,  1867. 
"MATA." 
By  E.  S.  Wayne. 
This  herb,  called  "mata  "  by  the  Mexicans,  is  in  common  use 
in  New  Mexico,  as  an  addition  to  tobacco  in  smoking.  A  small 
quantity  of  it  is  rubbed  to  a  coarse  powder  in  the  palm  of  the 
hand,  and  then  mixed  with  the  tobacco,  to  which,  in  burning,  it 
imparts  a  very  agreeable  odor,  and  at  the  same  time  prevents  or 
corrects  the  disagreeable  odor  of  stale  tobacco  smoke  upon  the 
clothing,  and  in  apartments. 
It  was  introduced  into  use  here  by  Major  McCrea,  U.  S.  A., 
and  since  has  become  quite  in  demand  by  smokers  (those  who 
