On 9/14/12 2:58 PM, James Silverton wrote:

> Can I just add one of the OED's quotes:
>
> 1883 Cassell's Family Mag. 507/1 The best diatomaceous earth is the
> ‘Kieselguhr’ of Hanover, which serves for the preparation of dynamite.

Kieselguhr, as you may know, Jim, is widely used in preparative
chemistry for the purification of compounds. It's quite a good
adsorbent (and I wouldn't be surprised if it has been used to fine wine
in the distant past). Most silaceous soil, though, has some amount of
diatomaceous earth in it, I would expect.

Mark Lipton


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