The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1844-06-20

", the earshs snd metals; thirdly, Ihe al
kslies; fo1nhly. NE inGsmmxbles. Only
The third and fourth divisions require 70
be explsined Or defined. The Substances
called potash and soda are termed slkalies.
They are saidto hare alkaline properties.
Touching you tongue with q Bic ofQulck-
lime. Il has hot. burning. biller TASTE.
hese are called alkaline properties. Be-
sides lhess lhey hare The poorer Of com.
Inning with and taking The sour ont OF al
sour liquids or arids, that 10. The arid and
The alksli neulralize each other. rhis
work alkli Is Of Arabic origin; ils very
name shows one tie properties. .Kali, !.
70 the Arabic word Tor biiter. and =. 81, %
10 like our word super. we say fine and
super6ne; 30 kali. Is bitter; alkali. super.
lstivrly bitter. OF truly aikali means the
4" dregs Of bitterness. | wish, reader.
Tor your own sake. % well % my own.
that you should in In your own mind
what ] said about alksli and alkaline pro-
pefiies. Alkali 10 general term. lin
cludes all lhnse substances which have an
action like The ley Of wood ashes. which
you use for sOap.naking. lf this ley is
boiled down dry. YOU know il forms pot.
ash. Now lime. fresh Stacked, has the
alkaline properties Of potash. but weaker,
and 50 has The rslrined magnesia of the
shops. but in less dsgrse than lime. Here
we have two substances, Parhy in their
look. having alkaline properties. They
are called. therefore, alkaline easlhs. but
what we understand chiefly by the term
alkalles. means potash. soda, and ammo.
MIA. Potash is the slkali Of land plants,
soda 10 the alksli Of sea plants; and am
monia is the alkali Of animal substances.
Potash and soda are liked. that is. not ca
silly raised in vapor by fire. Ammonia
ALWAYS exists as vapor unless fixed by
something else. Hence we have a dis
Iinciion among alkalies which is easily
remembered. This distinction is founded
on the SQUIRE from which they are pro-
cured. and upon their nature when heated.
Potash is vegetable alkali. derived IRON
land plants; soda is marine slkali derived
from sea plants; ammonia is animsl alkali.
derived from animal substances. Potash
and soda are fixed alkalies; ammonia is a
volatile alkali. Potash makes soft soap,
with grease, and soda forms hard soap.
Ammonia forms neither hard nor soft; ..
makes, with oil. kind Of ointment. used
To- rub a sore throat with. under the name
Of volatile linement. But though there
be these three alkalies and two alkaline
earths. want 10 fix in your mind, reader,
that they all have common properties,
ledslkaline, and which will enable you
10 understand their acti"n, without more
ada about their chrmistsy. The inaamma-
bles or our fourth division, are sulphur and
phosphorus; both used in making friction
matches. The phosphorus first takes
fire. by rubbing. and this sets the sulphur
burning. Now, the smoke arising from
these rs only the sulphur and phospho-
rus united 10 the Wit part Of the common
air. This compound of vital air, or oxy-
gen. az u is called. and inflammables,
forms acids, called sui rhuric and phos'
phoric acids. So If you burn coal, OF
carbon, it is well known you form fixed
air, or carbonic acid. That is, by burn
ing, the roaI or carbon unites with the oxy.
gen or vital part Of common air, which
arises from burning chaFcoal, has all the
properties Of an acid. And now let US
see what H. Sc properties are. All acids
unite or combine with the alkalies, aka
line tarihs, and the metals. v hen acids
and alkalies do thus unite. they each lose
their Distinguishing properties They
form new substance, called salt. u
is very important you should fix well in
your mind this definition Of a salt. You
are not to confine your idea OF salt Ia
common salt. That is acapi,al example
Of the whole class. il is soda, an aka
Ii. united to an acid. or chlorine, or ia
speak in the terms The most Ineligible
IA muria,ic acid. So saltpetre is salt
1t is potash united TO aqua.for,is. Yet il
sal,pe,re you perceive neither 20 ash moi
aqua-fortis. These have united, ,heil
characters are netralized by each other
They have formed a neutral salt. Ou
lis, Of substances found in plants is thus
reduced from things which you did no
know, 10 things which you do know
and so we have saved tho trouble oflearn'
ing more. Of their CHI. misiry.
We have reduced the airy or volatile in
to water. formed Of oxygen and hydro
gen; or volatile alkali formed Of nitrogen
and hydrogen; or into acids. as the car
bonic, formed Of oxygen and carbon-a'
the sulphuric. formed of oxygen and sui
phur-as the phosphoric. formed ofoxy
gen and phosphorus; and having thu
got water and acids, these unite with al
the alkaline. earthly. and metallic bodies
and form salts. To give you new exam
pies Of these may mention Glauber'
salts and EPSON salts. Glauber's sal
Is formed Of soda and sulphuric acid
alum, Of alumina, or clay and sulphur
acid; green vitrol, of iron and sulphur
acid; white vi,rol, of zinc and sulphur
acid: master of paris, OF lime and sulph,