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Letter to Editor
September 19, 1777
The Virginia Gazette
Richmond, Williamsburg, Richmond County, Virginia
What is this article about?
A salt-maker shares a simple method with fellow salt-boilers for producing fine Epsom or purging salt from the bittern leftover in brine after salt formation, involving settling, evaporation, and crystallization.
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Full Text
Messrs. Dixon & Hunter.
GENTLEMEN,
I was much pleased to see in your last week's paper a proper direction for boiling, and a most excellent one for drying salt. I beg leave to offer to my brethren, the salt-boilers, a short and easy method of making very fine Epsom, or purging salt.
The last two or three quarts of brine in a boiler of 30 gallons, where salt has formed, will be found to be of a reddish colour and bitter taste, which is called bittern. After this bittern has stood some time to settle, pour it off, and boil it in an iron vessel over a low fire, till about half is evaporated; let it stand till it is cool, then pour off the clear liquor from the common salt that has formed and settled at the bottom, and put it in trays, or other convenient vessels (stone are the best) to crystallize, which will be effected the sooner the cooler it is kept. In a day, or two, the liquor may be poured off from the shoots, and evaporated in the same manner, and so on till no more shoots can be obtained. These shoots, or salts, as soon as dry, should be kept from the air.
A SALT-MAKER.
GENTLEMEN,
I was much pleased to see in your last week's paper a proper direction for boiling, and a most excellent one for drying salt. I beg leave to offer to my brethren, the salt-boilers, a short and easy method of making very fine Epsom, or purging salt.
The last two or three quarts of brine in a boiler of 30 gallons, where salt has formed, will be found to be of a reddish colour and bitter taste, which is called bittern. After this bittern has stood some time to settle, pour it off, and boil it in an iron vessel over a low fire, till about half is evaporated; let it stand till it is cool, then pour off the clear liquor from the common salt that has formed and settled at the bottom, and put it in trays, or other convenient vessels (stone are the best) to crystallize, which will be effected the sooner the cooler it is kept. In a day, or two, the liquor may be poured off from the shoots, and evaporated in the same manner, and so on till no more shoots can be obtained. These shoots, or salts, as soon as dry, should be kept from the air.
A SALT-MAKER.
What sub-type of article is it?
Informative
What themes does it cover?
Commerce Trade
Science Nature
What keywords are associated?
Epsom Salt
Purging Salt
Bittern
Salt Boiling
Crystallization
Brine Evaporation
What entities or persons were involved?
A Salt Maker.
Messrs. Dixon & Hunter.
Letter to Editor Details
Author
A Salt Maker.
Recipient
Messrs. Dixon & Hunter.
Main Argument
offers a short and easy method to salt-boilers for making fine epsom or purging salt from bittern in brine.
Notable Details
Bittern Is Reddish And Bitter
Boil In Iron Vessel Over Low Fire
Crystallize In Stone Trays For Best Results