CALCAREOUS SPAR. Cale-spar.
Ying-ahwui-shih, . CHIN.Han-sbwui-shilt, . CHIN. Peh-shwui-shih, I „ Safed Burma, . . HIND.
The varieties of this mineral are calc-spar, Ice land spar, satin spar, chalk, rock milk, calcareous tufa, stalactite, stalagmite, limestone, oolite, piso lite, argentine, Fontainebleau limestone, white and clouded marbles, statuary marble, compact limestone, stinkstone, anthraconite, plumbo cal cite, mineral agaric. Calcareous spar is used in India medicinally, and they call it white anti mony, probably from its rhombohedral fracture resembling that of galena, which is usually em ployed in lien of antimony ; and natives use this also for the eyes,just as they do sulphide of antimony. At Sankerydroog, 25 miles S.W. of Salem, a great quantity of calcareous spar is burnt and sent to Salem and other parts, for eating with betel, as betel-eaters hold it in esteem. It requires a much greater heat than the ordinary kinds of limestone, and is generally burnt in small circular kilns with a jungle shrub, which gives out a great heat. When burnt it is much whiter than ordinary chunam, takes a most beautiful polish, and is much used for the last coat of plaster in houses, etc., giving the appearance of the whitest marble when polished. It occurs also at Masuli patam and in Travancore ; rhomb spar at Nellore, and satin spar, or fibrous carbonate of lime, in the Hyderabad territory. Calcium is estimated to constitute one-fourth part, by weight, of the materials of which the earth consists. The im portance of the uses of the compounds corresponds with the abundance of the element itself. But
for the use of calcium in separating iron from ore, iron would not occupy the important position it does. Its compounds form ranges of mountains, coral islands, and chalk cliffs. There are few industries which do not depend in some way upon it in the form of carbonate of lime, as limestone, chalk, marble, calc-spar, and shells.
Calcined shells, Poh-fen and Hai-koh-fen of the Chinese, when finely powdered, are used in China as a face powder, or for dusting sores. The famed polished wall plaster of the Madras houses is made of lime prepared from calcined shells dredged from the neighbouring Pulicat lake. See Chunam.
Calcis carbonas, Chalk, Carbonate of lime.
Kils, ARAB. Karrimatti, . . HIND.
11'toung h'pyu, BURN. Kapur ingria, . . MALAY.
Craie, Fn. Gil sated, . . . PERS.
Kohlensaurer kalk, GER. Simi chunambu, . TAM. Valaiti chuna, . HIND.
Chalk is only seen as an article of import into India. The Hindustani, Malay, and Tamil names describe it as foreign lime. It is used in house holds ; but the bones of vertebrate, a large part of the shells of testaceous mollusca, of crustacea, corals, oyster shells, crab's claws, crab's eyes, as they are called, are all employed in eastern countries medicinally, as also the lapis judaicus, which is the spine of fossil echinus. All consist of pure carbonate of lime, with some animal matter inti mately intermixed.—Royle.