tents of the water is attached to it, the increase of weight gives
the quantity of solid matter contained in a given quantity of the water.

EXPERIMENT.

Pour upon the saline contents a quantity of distilled water equal to
that in which the obtained salts were originally dissolved. If the whole
saline matter become dissolved in this water, there is reason to believe
that the saline matter has not been altered during the evaporation of
the water. But if a portion remain undissolved, as is usually the case,
then we may conclude that some of the salts have mutually decomposed
each other, when brought into a concentrated state by the evaporation,
and that salts have been formed which did not originally exist in the
water before its evaporation.

We have already mentioned that almost the only salts contained in common
waters, are the carbonates, sulphates, and muriates, of soda, lime, and
magnesia; and sometimes a very minute portion of iron. Having determined
the different acids and bases present, in the manner stated at p. 49, we
may easily ascertain the relative weight of each.

The following formula suggested by Dr. Murray,[17] is fully as accurate
a means of analysing waters as any other, and it is easy of execution.
The weight of the saline ingredients of a given quantity of water being
determined, we may proceed to the accurate analysis of it in the
following manner.

EXPERIMENT.

Measure out a determinate volume of the water (as 500 or 1000 cubic
inches,) and evaporate it gradually, in an unglazed open vessel defended
from dust, to one third of its original bulk; then divide this
evaporated liquid into three equal portions.

EXPERIMENT.

Drop into the first portion, muriate of barytes; wash the precipitate,
collect it, dry it at a red heat upon platina foil, and weigh it; digest
it in nitric acid, dry it, and weigh it again. The loss of weight
indicates the quantity of carbonate of barytes which the precipitate
contained. The residual weight is sulphate of barytes; the carbonic acid
in the water is equivalent to 0,22 of the weight of the carbonate of
barytes; the sulphuric acid to 0,339 of the weight of the sulphate of
barytes.

EXPERIMENT.

Precipitate the second portion of the concentrated water, by the
addition of nitrate of silver; wash the precipitate, dry it, and fuse it
on a piece of foil platina, previously weighed. By weighing the foil
containing the fused chloride of silver, the weight