Note 11 — Chapter XIV · THE VALENCY AND SPECIFIC HEAT OF THE METALS. MAGNESIUM. CALCIUM, STRONTIUM, BARIUM, AND BERYLLIUM
George Kamensky translation
The formation of dolomite may be explained, if only we imagine that a solution of a magnesium salt acts on calcium carbonate. Magnesium carbonate may be formed by double decomposition, and it must be supposed that this process ceases at a certain limit (Chapter XII.), when we shall obtain a mixture of the carbonates of calcium and magnesium. Haitinger heated a mixture of calcium carbonate, CaCO3, with a solution of an equivalent quantity of magnesium sulphate, MgSO4, in a closed tube at 200°, and then a portion of the magnesia actually passed into the state of magnesium carbonate, MgCO3, and a portion of the lime was converted into gypsum, CaSO4. Lubavin (1892) showed that MgCO3 is more soluble than CaCO3 in salt water, which is of some significance in explaining the composition of sea water.