Salt, Epsom common

Salts Compounds formed by the union of acids and bases, by the action of alkalies upon metals, or by the direct union of elements. The term is often incorporated in the common name of salts used as pharmaceuticals bitter salts, epsom salt, or Seidlitz salt (magnesium sulfate), preparing salt (sodium stannate), Preston s salts (ammonium chloride), Rochelle salt or Seignette s salt (potassium and ammonium tartrate), salt of Mars (ferrous sulfate), salt of Saturn (lead acetate), salt of tartar (potassium carbonate), salt of tin (stannous chloride), salt of wisdom (mercury bichloride and ammonium chloride), sore-throat salt (fused potassium nitrate), vinegar salts (calcium acetate), and vomiting salt (zinc sulfate). The term is also applied to some acids, such as salt of lemon or sour salt (citric acid), salt of sorrel (oxalic acid), and spirit of salt (muriatic acid). ... 

Electrolytes Common salt, Glauber s salt, Epsom salt... 

Minor papers by Scheele deal with the preparation of calomel by precipitating a solution of mercurous nitrate with common salt, the preparation of powder of algaroth, sal perlatum (in which he. proved that Meyer s supposed new metal, hydrosiderum from cold-short iron, is iron phosphide), and the preparation of magnesia alba in which Glauber s salt is obtained, by crystallisation from a solution of Epsom salt and common salt, as a by-product. ... 

In the days of alchemy and the phlogiston theory, no system of nomenclature that would be considered logical ia the 1990s was possible. Names were not based on composition, but on historical association, eg, Glauber s salt for sodium sulfate decahydrate and Epsom salt for magnesium sulfate physical characteristics, eg, spirit of wiae for ethanol, oil of vitriol for sulfuric acid, butter of antimony for antimony trichloride, Hver of sulfur for potassium sulfide, and cream of tartar for potassium hydrogen tartrate or physiological behavior, eg, caustic soda for sodium hydroxide. Some of these common or trivial names persist, especially ia the nonchemical Hterature. Such names were a necessity at the time they were iatroduced because the concept of molecular stmcture had not been developed, and even elemental composition was incomplete or iadeterminate for many substances. 

Common Name Epsom Salt Gypsum Washing soda... 

One of the earliest stories about Epsom salts dates back to 1618. The town of Epsom, in Surrey, England, was suffering from a severe drought. A farmer named Henry Wicker brought his cattle to drink from a watering hole on the town commons (central park). But the cattle would not drink the water. Wicker was surprised because he knew they were very thirsty. He tasted the water himself and found that it was very bitter. 

MgS04, Epsom Salts) is also a common purgative. 

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