Note 59 — Art. XIII. Observations on Salt Storms, and the Influence of Salt and Saline Air upon Animal and Vegetable Life.

My friend, Dr. John Torrey, has favoured me with the following results of some experiments, which he made at my request upon the last snow which fell. "A pint and a half of snow water was reduced by evaporation to a few drops. On testing this with vegetable blue infusions no alteration of colour took place. It was afterward evaporated to dryness, and about a quarter of a grain of a solid residuum was obtained. This was redissolved in a small quantity of pure rain water, and prussiate of potash added to it, without occasioning any precipitate. Nitrate of silver produced a white precipitate so copious, that the solution was thick with it. Carbonate of soda produced no effect. The transparency of a solution of muriate of barytes was not disturbed by it. These experiments prove, that a free acid does not exist in snow water, but that the muriate exists in it combined with an alkali, which is most probably soda."