Nitre
among the ancient Greeks and Romans generally meant carbonate of soda, sometimes carbonate of potash. The Arab chemists, however, clearly described nitrate of potash. In the works attributed to Geber and Marcus Græcus, especially, its characters are represented. Raymond Lully, in the thirteenth century, mentions sal nitri, and evidently alludes to saltpetre, and Roger Bacon always meant nitrate of potash when he wrote of nitre. It was not, however, until the seventeenth century that the term acquired the definite meaning which we attach to it.
At the beginning of that century there was much discussion as to the formation of nitre, as it had been held that the acid which combined with the alkali was ready formed in the atmosphere. Glauber was the first to argue that vegetables formed saltpetre from the soil. Stahl taught that the acid constituent of nitre was vitriolic acid combined with phlogiston emanating from putrefying vegetable matter.
After gunpowder had become a prime necessity of life, saltpetre bounded upwards in the estimation of kings and statesmen. In France in 1540 an Edict was issued commissioning officials called “salpêtriers” in all districts who were authorised to seek for saltpetre in cellars, stables, dovecotes, and other places where it was formed naturally. No one was permitted to pull down a building of any sort without first giving due notice to the salpêtriers. The “Salpêtrière” Asylum in Paris recalls one of the national factories of nitre. During the French Revolution citizens were “invited” to lixiviate the soil and ceilings of their cellars, stables, etc., and to supply the Republic with saltpetre for gunpowder. The Government paid 24 sous, 1s., a pound for the nitre thus procured, though, as this was no doubt paid in assignats, it was cheap enough. It was estimated that 16,000,000 lbs. a year were thus provided.