Show I Pure Bicarbonate of Soda Found in Lake Bed I Thick reefs of sodium perhaps the first ever found in nature have been identified by Dr William F F. Foshag Smithsonian Institution curator of o mineralogy from cores brought to the surface from depths of f about feet under an nn ancient California lake bed Used by housewives and dyspeptics dyspeptics dyspeptics tics for generations sodium bicar bicar- bicarbonate bicarbonate bonate has always been a manufactured manufactured product made from a base of ordinary table salt by a complex chemical process A few years ago came the first reported discovery of any of the natural mineral It was detected by a British geologist geologist gist by chemical analysis of mate mate- material material rial obtained in scraped from the wall of an ancient Roman aqueduct near Naples It was declared a new mineral and given a name Further tests have placed the discovery in some doubt however however and the material Iden iden- identified ed by Doctor Foshag may be berated berated berated rated as an original discovery It II was found under the dried bed of Searles Lake Calif a 1 treasure place for rare mineral combinations There are about ISO feet of prine bearing salt sail beds deposited from the waters of an on ancient salt Ike From these beds bd by mesa means of sh il low wells potash and borax are be being ing recovered on a commercial scale In the drilling of these walls willis willisa a complex of minerals Is obtained Some time ago Doctor Foshag sug suggested that drillings be made below the brine layers When holes were driven to the foot level Jevel It was wan I found that layers of almost pure I sodium bicarbonate and clay alter aller This time lime Doctor Foshag says there is no question at all about the identification From samples obtained from the lower Jower levels of the brine deposit Doctor Foshag has also obtained an un another another other new mineral minerai hitherto known as an artificial chemical compound which has been named It Ills is a double sulfate and carbonate of sodium occurring in small quart quan titles tilles |