Otservdtions Upon Sulphurous Mineral Waters* 131 



tJp the residue by alcohol, which dissolves this resin more 

 X{\k\\ the earthy niuriates. By the evaporation of the alco- 

 holic liquid, the substance at first looks like a yellowish fat, 

 it it successively coloured brown, and becomes resinous. 



By repeated solutions in alcohol, and by evaporations, it 

 is decomposexl into sulphur, and into a' resin of a blackish- 

 brown. 



It has a garlic smell, which becomes very strong, and si- 

 milar to assafcetida, when we pour water into the alcoholic 

 solution. 



Its solution acts like an acid. 



Its tcsin is dissolved in ammonia, and communicates a 

 yellow colour to it; the liquor acts like that of Beguin. 

 With lime-water wc obtain a hydro-sulphuret. All these 

 solutions act upon the metallic combinations like sulphuret- 

 ted hydrogen. 



As sulphurous mineral waters have their orFgin in beds of 

 pi't-coal, we might perhaps find the source of this bitu- 

 minous principle in pit-coal itself. 



Around the baths of Eilsen,- like those of St. Amand, 

 there is accumulated a kind of crust, which gradually be- 

 comes of a dark colour, and latterly black. 



By analysis, there have been extracted from it sulphuretted- 

 fetid resin, hydrq-sulphuret of lime, sulphur, lime, alu- 

 mine, magnesia, charcoal, and sand, with some fibrous 

 substances, a little sulphuretted hy.drogen gas, and car- 

 bonic acid gas. 



Whatever be the origin of the bituminous principle in 

 sulphurous waters, M. Westrumb succeeded in producing 

 charcoal and fetid resin, by employing sulphur perfectly 

 pure. 



For this purpose he digested sulphur precipitated by an 

 acid in alcohol. By distilling the alcoholic liquor, there i.* 

 separated yellow crystalline sulphur, or a yejlovvish gray 

 powder : the fetid resin is then completely formed in the 

 liquor floating above, and possessing all the above proper- 

 ties. 



We might attribute its formation to the presence of the 



alcohol, and dfortioriy because, softer its separation- fiv)m the 



i^O .1!///:, I 2 residue 



