The phenomenon of absorption in its relation to soils: A résumé of the subject

Abstract

Ithas been known from the earliest times that soils would remove salts and colouring matters from solution and the problems arising out of the observations made on this phenomenon were among the earliest to be attacked by agricultural chemists. It was known to Aristotle that sea water lost some of its taste by filtration through sand and this observation seems to have been confirmed and applied in many ways. Lord Bacon in hisSylva Sylvarumdiscussed the question of making sea water potable by filtering through sand. Le Comte de Marsilli made quantitative experiments. Sea water was filtered through fifteen successive vessels of garden soil and a diminution in the salt content was proved by evaporation and by the change in specific gravity. Similar results were obtained with sand. Boyle Godfrey discussed the question of making sea water fit for use on ships and observed that if sea water be put into a stone straining cistern the first pint that runs through will be like pure water, having no taste of salt, but the next pint will be as salt as usual. Stephen Hales in dealing with the same question refers to the use of a soft stone by the Dutch as a filtering material, but he points out that this method has no practical value as only the first portions of the filtrate are free from salt.