Chapter Xvii., the Friable, Crumbling, and Stratified Formations Which

in our times cover a large part of the earth's surface have been formed from these primary rocks by the action of the atmosphere and of water containing carbonic acid. It is evident that in the chemical alteration of the primary rocks by the action of water, the compounds of potassium, as well as the compounds of sodium, must have been dissolved by the water (as they are soluble in water), and that therefore the compounds of potassium must be accumulated together with those of sodium in sea water. And indeed compounds of potassium are always found in sea water, as we have already pointed out (Chapters I. and X.). This forms one of the sources from which they are extracted. After the evaporation of sea water, there remains a mother liquor, which contains potassium chloride and a large proportion of magnesium chloride. On cooling this solution crystals separate out which contain chlorides of magnesium and potassium. A double salt of this kind, called carnallite, KMgCl{3},6H{2}O, occurs at Stassfurt. This carnallite is now employed as a material for the extraction of potassium chloride, and of all the compounds of this element. Besides which, potassium chloride itself is sometimes found at Stassfurt as sylvine.[3 bis] By a method of double saline decomposition, the chloride of potassium may be converted into all the other potassium salts, some of which are of practical use. The potassium salts have, however, their greatest importance as an indispensable component of the food of plants.