Science
2009-08-01 13:52:00
Halite...commonly known as salt
Question: What’s so special about salt?
Answer: As I look around my office here at the Kansas Underground Salt Museum I see a crystal bowl of my favorite clear and red salt and five good-sized chucks of salt, including the piece that I picked up eight years ago when I went down into the mine for the first time. It is pink because I left it in a cabinet with a red cinnamon candle for a few years. On my book-shelf, I have twelve more chunks of salt, some with mud in them, some clear, some white and some with red and black stripes. On the floor behind my desk, there are three boxes full of large salt rocks-some as big as footballs and very heavy. On my kitchen cabinet at home, I have three boxes full of beautiful clear rock salt containing water bubbles that I acquired on my last trip to the mine face. Finally, on my coffee table is a large square shaped chunk that becomes illuminated by the rising sun every morning at about 8:00. I know that if I journeyed underground today, I would be filling my bucket full. Some people might say that I am obsessed with the stuff, but I think that my fascination comes from the fact that there is nothing as elemental to life on earth as halite, more commonly known as sodium chloride or salt.
Here are a few facts about salt that you might find surprising:
• Homer and Plato both referred to salt as a divine substance.
• Salt has often been equated with fertility. In many cultures either the bride or the groom carry salt in their clothing during the wedding ceremony.
• Almost every part and product of the human body contains salt. All humans and animals would die without salt and water.
• There are over 14,000 known uses for salt.
• Until 100 years ago, salt was the most precious and commonly fought over commodity.
• In many cultures and most religions, salt has been used to protect people and their homes from evil.
• Reliable salt supplies enabled the development of the cultivation and preservation of food and the domestication of animals-thus leading to the development of civilization.
• Roman soldiers were often paid in salt or “salary.” Have you ever heard the expression “worth his salt?” How about “salt of the earth” or “with a grain of salt?” Other words coming from salt include sauce and sausage.
• The Civil War was shortened by the destruction of the salt works in Saltville VA, by the Union troops. This led to a decrease in the South’s ability to preserve food for winter.
• Salt was essential to the preservation of Egyptian mummies, many of which remain well preserved to this day.
• In 2008, about 260 million tons of salt were produced worldwide including 500,000 tons right here at the Hutchinson Salt Mine.
I could go on but I think you get the idea. Loving salt is part of our DNA! Visit us at the Kansas Underground Salt Museum and start your own collection of this amazing substance. www.undergroundmuseum.org
