Michael Faraday

“ Sir Humphry Davy gave me the analysis to make as a first attempt in chemistry at a time when my fear was greater than my confidence, and both far greater than my knowledge; at a time also when I had no thought of ever writing an original paper on science. ”

“ The upper spring contains a little carbonic acid gas, some sulphuretted hydrogen, and some sulphate of soda. The following is the manner in which the caustic lime is formed in this bath. The lower spring yields a quantity of lime, but as this spring does not rise freely, but oozes through the bottom of the bath, the lime forms a stratum at the bottom of the lagune; which stratum, absorbing the carbonic acid gas of the water above, passes to the state of a carbonate, and thus forms a defence to the lime, which is continually depositing itself underneath, and prevents it losing its causticity. ”

“ Faraday's analysis, that the menstruum which deposits the solid substance must be a solution of silica in lime-water, and heat is evidently the agent by which the large quantity of lime deposited is made soluble and is enabled to act on silica ”