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NATURAL HISTORY OF STRONTIA.

STKGNT3A.

PART LXIX.

SECT. I.

NATURAL HISTORY OF STRONTIA.

Stronti A was for some time confounded with barytes.Indeed a great many of its properties are so similar to it, thatevery thing which has been said of the latter will apply to stron-tia. It approaches to barytes as soda approaches to potash.Klaproth and Dr. Hope, in the year 1793, were the first whoestablished its peculiar nature.

Strontia exists in a fossil state, and was first discovered atStrontian, in Argyllshire in Scotland, from whence it takes itsname. It is found united to carbonic acid, forming what iscalled carbonate of strontia. This mineral is somewhat transpa-rent, but it has in general a yellow, or greenish tinge. Combinedwith sulphuric acid, it constitutes the mineral called sulphate ofstrontia. This fossil is of a reddish or flesh colour ; it has beenfound lately by Mr. Clayfield, in tire vicinity of Bristol, and hasalso been met with in Pensylvania.

PROPERTIES OF STRONTIA.

Strontia in a state of purity has a caustic taste, it changesblue vegetable colours green, and unites oil with water. It at-