PART II.

THE ANALYSIS

OF THE

Harrogate Waters,

SECT. I.

Of the Sulphur Water.

THERE HERE are four sulphur wells, very near each other, at Low-Harrogate, which differ only in the quality of impregnating principles. That which is commonly used for drinking, is the strongest; the others supply water for the baths, which is collected as it springs, and poured into vessels kept for the purpose, from which it is pumped into casks, and conveyed to the different houses, as it is wanted.

Of these four sulphur wells, I shall call the Drinking-Well the first; that about a yard distant from it, to the right, the se

cond; and proceeding still to the right, we meet with the third and fourth. My experiments on these different wells, lead to the same conclusions as those of the bishop of Landaff, viz., that the first is the most strongly impregnated, the third the next strongly; and, that the second and fourth are nearly of the same strength, but considerably weaker than the first and third. The second and fourth are not so clear as the first and third, being somewhat cloudy, which is most probably occasioned by their having some communication with the external air, before, they make their appearance.

Though the second and fourth wells have been often frozen, yet the first and third have continued fluid in the most extreme frost, having a temperature several degrees below the freezing point, which proves, that it is the great quantity of salt, with which they are impregnated, which preserves them from being frozen, in the coldest seasons incident to the climate.

Since these four wells differ only in strength, I shall content myself with relating the experiments which I made upon

the Drinking-Well, being the only one used internally; and shall begin with a few observations on it's physical properties.

This water, when taken up from the well, is perfectly clear and transparent, and sparkles when poured out of one glass into another. The taste is very saline, and at first disagreeable. It has a strong hepatic, or sulphureous smell, similar to bilge water, or the scourings of a gun. When this water is exposed to the open air, it soon begins to grow turbid, and acquires in some degree a greenish tinge; a white powder is slowly deposited, and it gradually loses it's sulphureous smell.

By means of an accurate hydrometer, which displaced near a quart of water, the specific gravity of this water was found to be to that of distilled water as 10,064 to 10,000, the temperature of both being 60 degrees.

Experiment I. A piece of paper, on which characters were written with a pen dipped in a solution of acetite of lead, (saccharum saturni) being placed over a glass, nearly filled with the water, just

taken from the well; the characters soon became visible, and of a color nearly black. When such a paper is plunged into the water, the blackness is instantly produced and is more intense. This experiment was repeated with water which had been boiled for a few minutes, and also with water which had been exposed for 24 hours to the open air; but the characters were not in either case rendered visible.

This experiment shows, that this water is strongly impregnated with hepatic air, or sulphurated hydrogen gas; and that this gas escapes, or is decomposed on exposure to heat, or to the astmosphere.

Exper. II. Nitrat of silver being dropped into a glass of the water, just taken from the well, produced a very copious precipitate, of a dirty brown color. With water that had been boiled, it produced a copious white-colored precipitate, which was soluble in distilled vinegar.

The first part of this experiment likewise shows, that this water contains sulphurated hydrogen gas, which gives the precipitate formed by the nitrat of silver,

it's brown color. The second part shows, that this water contains a large quantity of muriatic acid united to some base, it being the property of the muriatic acid to separate the silver from the nitric acid, forming muriat of silver, which is distinguished from sulphat of silver, by being soluble in distilled vinegar.

Exper. III. Muriat of barytes being dropped into a glass of the water, not change was produced at first, but after standing about half an hour, the water became slightly turbid. This shows the presence of the sulphuric acid, though in a very small quantity.

Exper. IV. A few drops of an aqueous solution of acid of sugar, being mixed with a glass of the water, instantly produced a turbid appearance, and in a short time, a copious white precipitate fell to the bottom of the glass.

This experiment shows, that this water contains lime or calcareous earth, in a considerable quantity.

Exper. V. Tincture of turnsole, being