Experiments upon magnesia alba, Quicklime, and some other Alcaline Substances

It was originally obtained from a liquor called the mother of nitre, which is produced in the following manner:

Salt-petre is separated from the brine which first affords it, or from the water with which it is washed out of nitrous earths, by the process commonly used in crystallizing salts. In this process the brine is gradually diminished, and at length reduced to a small quantity of an unctuous bitter saline liquor, affording no more salt-petre by evaporation; but, if urged with a brisk fire, drying up into a confused mass which attracts water strongly, and becomes fluid again when exposed to the open air.

To this liquor the workmen have given the name of the mother of nitre; and Hoffman, finding it composed of the magnesia united to an acid, obtained a separation of these, either by exposing the compound to a strong fire in which the acid was dissipated and the magnesia remained behind, or by the addition of an alkali which attracted the acid to itself: and this last method he recommends as the best. He likewise makes an inquiry into the nature and virtues of the powder thus prepared; and observes, that it is an absorbent earth which joins readily with all acids, and must necessarily destroy any acidity it meets in the stomach; but that its purgative power is uncertain, for sometimes it has not the least effect of that kind. As it is a mere insipid earth, he rationally concludes it to be purgative only when converted into a sort of neutral salt by an acid in the stomach, and that its effect is therefore proportional to the quantity of this acid.

Altho' magnesia appears from this history of it to be a very innocent medicine, yet having observed, that some hypochondriacs who used it frequently, were subject to flatulencies and spasms, he seems to have suspected it of some noxious quality. The circumstances however which gave rise to his suspicion, may very possibly have proceeded from the imprudence of his patients, who, trusting too much to magnesia, (which is properly a palliative in that disease,) and neglecting the assistance of other remedies, allowed their disorder to increase upon them. It may indeed be alledged, that magnesia, as a purgative, is not the most eligible medicine for such constitutions, as they agree best with those that strengthen, stimulate and warm; which the saline purges commonly used are not observed to do. But there seems at least to be no objection to its use when children are troubled with an acid in their stomach; for gentle purging in this case is very proper, and it is often more conveniently procured by means of magnesia than of any other medicine, on account of its being intirely insipid.

The above-mentioned Author observing, some time after, that a bitter saline liquor, similar to that obtained from the brine of salt-petre, was likewise produced by the evaporation of those waters which contain common salt, had the curiosity to try if this would also yield a magnesia. The experiment succeeded: and he thus found out another process for obtaining this powder, and at the same time assured himself by experiments, that the product from both was exactly the same.[3]

My curiosity led me some time ago to inquire more particularly into the nature of magnesia, and especially to compare its properties with those of the other absorbent earths, of which there plainly appeared to me to be very different kinds, altho' commonly confounded together under one name. I was indeed led to this examination of the absorbent earths, partly by the hope of discovering a new sort of lime and lime-water, which might possibly be a more powerful solvent of the stone than that commonly used; but was disappointed in my expectations.

I have had no opportunity of seeing Hoffman's first magnesia or the liquor from which it is prepared, and have therefore been obliged to make my experiments upon the second.

In order to prepare it, I at first employed the bitter saline liquor called bittern, which remains in the pans after the evaporation of sea water. But as that liquor is not always easily procured, I afterwards made use of a salt called epsom-salt, which is separated from the bittern by crystallization, and is evidently composed of magnesia and the vitriolic acid.

There is likewise a spurious kind of Glauber salt, which yields plenty of magnesia, and seems to be no other than the epsom salt of sea water reduced to crystals of a larger size. And common salt also affords a small quantity of this powder; because being separated from the bittern by one hasty crystallization only, it necessarily contains a portion of that liquor.

Those who would prepare a magnesia from epsom-salt, may use the following process.

Dissolve equal quantities of epsom-salt, and of pearl ashes separately in a sufficient quantity of water; purify each solution from its dregs, and mix them accurately together by violent agitation: then make them just to boil over a brisk fire.

Add now to the mixture three or four times its quantity of hot water; after a little agitation, allow the magnesia to settle to the bottom, and decant off as much of the water as possible. Pour on the same quantity of cold water; and, after settling, decant it off in the same manner. Repeat this washing with the cold water ten or twelve times: or even oftner, if the magnesia be required perfectly pure for chemical experiments.

When it is sufficiently washed, the water may be strained and squeezed from it in a linen cloth; for very little of the magnesia passes thro'.

The alkali in the mixture uniting with the acid, separates it from the magnesia; which not being of itself soluble in water, must consequently appear immediately under a solid form. But the powder which thus appears is not intirely magnesia; part of it is the neutral salt, formed from the union of the acid and alkali. This neutral salt is found, upon examination, to agree in all respects with vitriolated tartar, and requires a large quantity of hot water to dissolve it. As much of it is therefore dissolved as the water can take up; the rest is dispersed thro' the mixture in the form of a powder. Hence the necessity of washing the magnesia with so much trouble; for the first affusion of hot water is intended to dissolve the whole of the salt, and the subsequent additions of cold water to wash away this solution.

The caution given of boiling the mixture is not unnecessary; if it be neglected, the whole of the magnesia is not accurately separated at once; and by allowing it to rest for some time, that powder concretes into minute grains, which, when viewed with the microscope, appear to be assemblages of needles diverging from a point. This happens more especially when the solutions of the epsom-salt and of the alkali are diluted with too much water before they are mixed together. Thus, if a dram of epsom-salt and of salt of tartar be dissolved each in four ounces of water, and be mixed, and then allowed to rest three or four days, the whole of the magnesia will be formed into these grains. Or if we filtrate the mixture soon after it is made, and heat the clear liquor which passes thro'; it will become turbid, and deposite a magnesia.

I had the curiosity to satisfy myself of the purgative power of magnesia, and of Hoffman's opinion concerning it, by the following easy experiment. I made a neutral salt of magnesia and distilled vinegar; choosing this acid as being, like that in weak stomachs, the product of fermentation. Six drams of this I dissolved in water, and gave to a middle-aged man, desiring him to take it by degrees. After having taken about a third, he desisted, and purged four times in an easy and gentle manner. A woman of a strong constitution got the remainder as a brisk purgative, and it operated ten times without causing any uneasiness. The taste of this salt is not disagreeable, and it appears to be rather of the cooling than of the acrid kind.

Having thus given a short sketch of the history and medical virtues of magnesia, I now proceed to an account of its chemical properties. By my first experiments, I intended to learn what sort of neutral salts might be obtained by joining it to each of the vulgar acids; and the result was as follows.

Magnesia is quickly dissolved with violent effervescence, or explosion of air, by the acids of vitriol, nitre, and of common salt, and by distilled vinegar; the neutral saline liquors thence produced having each their peculiar properties.

That which is made with the vitriolic acid, may be condensed into crystals similar in all respects to epsom-salt.

That which is made with the nitrous is of a yellow colour, and yields saline crystals, which retain their form in a very dry air, but melt in a moist one.

That which is produced by means of spirit of salt, yields no crystals; and if evaporated to dryness, soon melts again when exposed to the air.

That which is obtained from the union of distilled vinegar with magnesia, affords no crystals by evaporation, but is condensed into a saline mass, which, while warm, is extremely tough and viscid, very much resembling a strong glue both in colour and consistence, and becomes brittle when cold.

By these experiments magnesia appears to be a substance very different from those of the calcarious class; under which I would be understood to comprehend all those that are converted into a perfect quick-lime in a strong fire, such as lime-stone, marble, chalk, those spars and marles which effervesce with aqua fortis, all animal shells and the bodies called lithophyta. All of these, by being joined with acids, yield a set of compounds which are very different from those we have just now described. Thus, if a small quantity of any calcarious matter be reduced to a fine powder and thrown into spirit of vitriol, it is attacked by this acid with a brisk effervescence; but little or no dissolution ensues. It absorbs the acid, and remains united with it in the form of a white powder, at the bottom of the vessel, while the liquor has hardly any taste, and shews only a very light cloud upon the addition of alkali.[4]

The same white powder is also formed when spirit of vitriol is added to a calcarious earth dissolved in any other acid; the vitriolic expelling the other acid, and joining itself to the earth by a stronger attraction; and upon this account the magnesia of sea-water seems to be different from either of those described by Hoffman. He says expressly, that the solutions of each of his powders, or, what is equivalent, that the liquors from which they are obtained, formed a coagulum, and deposited a white powder, when he added the vitriolic acid;[5] which experiment I have often tried with the marine bittern, but without success. The coagulum thus formed in the mother of nitre may be owing to a quantity of quick-lime contained in it; for quick-lime is used in extracting the salt-petre from its matrix. But it is more difficult to account for the difference between Hoffman's bittern and ours, unless we will be satisfied to refer it to this, that he got his from the waters of salt springs, which may possibly be different from those of the sea.