38 
SELECTED ARTICLES. 
and its occurrence, in such large quantity, may be fairly as- 
cribed to the employment of common salt 
The following table will exhibit the comparative purity of 
the specimens which I analyzed, and in order to show in what 
respects they differ from the American potash, analyzed many 
years since by the celebrated Vauquelin, I have prefixed his 
results, reduced to the same number of grains which I em- 
ployed. 
Table showing the composition of several varieties of Com- 
mercial Potash. 
Insol- 
uble 
mat- 
ter. 
Sul- 
phat. 
pot- 
ash. 
Chloride of 
potassium 
with chlor. 
of sodium. 
Carbonated 
alkali and 
water. 
Total. 
Impurities 
in 100 
parts of pot- 
ash. 
Carbonated 
alkali in 
100 parts 
of potash. 
1 
.8 
66.8 
8.7 
423.7 
500 
15.3 
84.7 
2 
58. 
37.5 
36.5 
368. 
500 
26.4 
73.6 
3 
2.5 
31.5 
75. 
391. 
500 
21.8 
78.2 
4 
12. 
61. 
54. 
373. 
500 
25.4 
74.6 
5 
8. 
57.5 
50. 
384.5 
500 
23.1 
76.9 
6 
57. 
22. 
46. 
375. 
500 
25. 
75. 
7 
38. 
52. 
161. 
246. 
500 
50.8 
49.2 
No. 1. Is the result of the analysis of Vauquelin, made 
about 1802. 
No. 2. A specimen received from an inspector at Albany, 
and marked as " first sort, but not of the best quality." 
No. 3. Supposed to have been made according to the ori- 
ginal patent of Ephraim Pearce, (Franklin Journal, vol. ix.) 
in which lime and salt were employed. It was nearly white, 
with a pearly lustre. 
No. 4. From the same parcel as the last, but of a darker 
colour; the average per cent, of carbonated alkali in the two 
specimens is 76.4. 
No. 5. Received from an inspector, and labelled " made 
partly on the patent plan" — colour whitish. 
No. 6. Another specimen of the same kind as No. 5, but of 
a darker colour. The average per cent, of carbonated alkali 
is 75.S. 
