13G

SAL AMMONIAC.

the King of Persia , like the water of the Nile , as is relatedby Athenaeus , from an historian long since lost . 1

An author of repute, after‘noticing the preceding, andwith whose work the foregoing is collated, says, “ Whenafter every thing they, the ancients, have said of it, iscollected and impartially examined, no proof will he foundthat under that name they understood our sal ammoniac.On the contrary, one will he convinced that sal ammoniacuswas nothing else than impure marine salt. So much forconsistency. The scepticism of the learned, alas! makesthem desert those natural endowments, which nature hasliberally allowed to some individuals of them; to what ex-tremes will they not run when they embrace a particularopinion, or are prejudiced against already settled notions.

It is observed by the same author, that although theancients had names for numerous chymical agents which arenow in use, it is probable they were not more ignorant inany thing than in those portions of mineral produce whichare now, in the present improved state of our arts, thoughtmost important: he says, “The art of lixiviating earths,“ and causing saline solutions to crvstalize, was then so“ little known, that instead of green vitriol, vitriolic mine-“ rals, however impure, were employed in making ink, dye“ liquors, and for other things 3 places for boiling vitriolwere not then established; therefore Pliny beheld with won-der a piece of blue vitriol, which, in his time, was made inSpain .

The sal ammoniac known to the ancients is conceived tohave been only common rock salt, that being the purestsaline substance with which they were acquainted ; we findit was used to supply the place of common salt in theirsacrifices; and it is known that what they used for religiouspurposes, they, upon certain occasions, also applied to do-mestic utility. It is conceived we are warranted in thisconclusion, from many of their gods having been only heroesdeified after death. And as they thought themselves justi-fied in partaking of the remainder of the sacrifices, afterthe favourite portions of each deity had been offered, it is,we submit, equally probable, they did not believe this orthat species of salt as peculiar or sanctified to any deity, soas to preclude themselves the advantage of participating ofits benefits.

For these reasons, we conclude, it was a general, a gra-tifying, and a necessary article used in their food. It is

* Athen. lib. ii. cap. 29, p. 67 .

3 Beckmann, vol. iv. p. 360.