Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1851-05-22
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1ss,i.ass \ RIemf the National Intelligsncer.
.sggAsRIcULSrURAL GEOLOGY
p sHsy JOSIAH noL6aooK.

S.'l.g 1874 giSSi ~ Ssset' t sal Il (,
l,e.sly aeoa kis safTTT7-ig, ssaga .lrsI ~,
0Susitlic GrecR wordifor acid, ginonei, in
Grcekq Heaus make; hence tho literal
meaning Of oxygeaeis acid maker. Com
bined with sulphur i, forms sulphuric acid
withinirogen nitric acid &c. Respiration,
combustion and fermentation are the three
principal operations producing the combna.
lions of oxygen and carbon the results, car
bonic acid.
Acids combine readily with metals, earth
and alkalics-is iron, limo and potash
By chemists these combinations are called
salts, designated by The termination ate.--
Sulphuric acids combining with various bases
produces sulphales; nhric, nilraies; carbon
ic carbonaies. Sulphale of lime is gypsum
orpaster Of Paris; sulphaie Of iron, copper.
az; Of soda, glauber salts; or magnesio,
epson sails. The carbonate of lime. is
common limestone, marble, chalk, and many
beautiful crystals. Catbonates Of iron, &C D.
per, and lead, a,e tres Of these metals.
About q century ag", water was found 10
he composed ofoxygen und hydrogen, about
a'halfNa century since, oxygen was found
bySir Humphrey Davy to be an element of
rocks, of coarse soils as il was of alkalies,
combined with oxygen, were found by The
same great chemist 10 be metals very Pc
culiar Ia character.
1t hence appears lha, oxygen is an ele-
ment in air, earth and water, existing abun.
danlly in solid. liquid and aeria forms. In
whole il constitutes nearly half our globe
Ills OF course the most abundan. elemen,
in the material world. Ii is also The most
important agent in producing changes is
matter essential 10 the human existence. Il,
is very appropriately called vital air, as nei.
'hef animaflife nor any life can exis, with.
opi'it Its no less essential to combustion
'han to liie. Il also acts with energy upon
metals and other solid substances. In this
action it produces three very large and very
important classes of bodies--oxydes, acids
and salts Iron rust is the oxyde of iron
.he dross Of lead, oxyde orlead; burn, lime.
The oxyde Of calcium; ; pure potash, the OK.
yde OF potassium pure soda, the oxyde of
sodium; sclex or flint, The oxyde of sill.
cum The combination OF one par, oxygen
and ioar Of nitrogen constitutes the atmos.
phere three paris Of oxygen and one of
nlIrc acid, aquaforis. Combined with 9Th.
er substances, It forms numerous acids.--
Sal'pesre is The nitrate ofpoIash. Til. large
quantiiy oil oxygen il receives from the nj.
lric acid 6,sh for a material in gunpowder.
giving 10 thai powerful ngen, its principle
power.
plate, .umbler and scrap Of paper with
adlaie water, will enable any teacher or pa.
renlio perform an expcrimen, on oxygen
equally simple, instructive and interesting.
in deep plate pour some water, on The wa.
ter place scrap Of thick paper, piece of
cork or other light substances on lha, an.
oil er piece of paper or cotton mois,ed with
oil. On lighting the paper or cotton place
over large empty tumbler. The com.
bustion continues for few seconds, nnd
when II is ex.ingushed the wafer occupies
about one fifth of the space in the ,umbIer.
showingthe necessity of oxygen combustion;
and that it constitutes abou, one.Glih tho oir
we breathe What man woman or child
would not like 10 be famiIiarly acquainted
win an elemen. so abundant, and agcn, SO
ac'lVe as oxygen, especially when such an
acquaintance is equally simple, useful and
delightful
II ,aa . ---L- - Il ........