Scientific American Supplement, No. 497, July 11, 1885Various
Science
Scientific American Supplement, No. 497, July 11, 1885
Various
Science -- Periodicals
The waters of the Irish Sea and the English Channel nearer to the German
Ocean, from their neighborhood to great rivers, are weaker than the
above.
Schweitzer's analysis of the waters of the English Channel, near
Brighton, was taken as representing the composition of the sea, and is
here given:
Sodium chloride 27.059
Potassium " 0.766
Magnesium " 3.666
" bromide 0.029
" sulphate 2.296
Calcium " 1.406
" carbonate 0.033
Iodine and ammoniacal salts traces
Water 964.795
________
1000.000
The chlorides in the--
Irish Sea are about 30 per mille.
English Channel are about 31 "
Beyond the Eddystone are 32 "
As the requirement for a potable sea water does not arise except in
mid-ocean, the proportion of 32 per mille must be taken as the basis of
calculation.
This represents as near 20 per mille of chlorine as possible.
From the analysis shown it will be perceived that the chlorides of
sodium and magnesium are in great preponderance.
It is to the former of these that the baneful effects of sea water when
drunk are to be ascribed, for chloride of sodium or common salt produces
thirst probably by its styptic action on the salivary glands, and scurvy
by its deleterious action on the blood when taken in excess.
Sodium chloride being the principal noxious element in sea water, and
soda in combination with a vegetable or organic acid, such as citric
acid, tartaric acid, or malic acid, being innocuous, the conclusion is
that the element of evil to be avoided is _chlorine_.
After describing various experiments, and calling attention to the power
of earthy matters in abstracting salts from solutions by which he hoped
the process would be perfected, an imperial pint of water from beyond
the Eddystone was shown mixed with 960 grains of citrate of silver and 4
grains of the free citric acid.
Each part of the chlorides requires three parts by weight of the silver
citrate to throw down the chlorine, thus:
3NaCl + Ag_{3}C_{6}H_{5}O_{7} = Na3.C_{6}H_{5}O_{7}+3AgCl.
The silver chloride formed a dense insoluble precipitate, and the
supernatant fluid was decanted and filtered through a rubber tube and
handed round as a beverage.
It contained in each fluid ounce by calculation about:
18 grains of citrate of soda.
1-1/2 " " magnesia.
1/2 " " potash.
1 " sulphate of magnesia.
1/2 " " lime.
1/5 " citric acid.
with less than half a grain of undecomposed chlorides.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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