On Mineral Waters. 77 



encounter, in the argument, that the degree of perfection at 

 which our analyses have lately arrived, rather encourages than 

 precludes the hopes of their further improvement. It must 

 be confessed, that the modern and elaborate analyses of Profes- 

 sors Berzelius, Brandis, Steinmann, and Dr. Struve, afford a 

 certain degree of plausibility to this objection. On, however, 

 comparing their labours with those of experienced chemists, 

 who preceded them, we find them to correspond in all the 

 essential points, and the additions of the former to regard alone 

 the detection of a few ingredients in very minute portions, and 

 whose presence in mineral waters was never before suspected. 

 According to the present accurate mode of instituting analyses, 

 large quantities of water are submitted to the process at once. 

 The weight of every single ingredient is thus ascertained by the 

 direct method, and no longer by merely subtracting the re- 

 mainder from the entire mass ; and the amount of the single 

 ingredients is yet required to agree with the sum total. Nor 

 are the precipitates in the drain that carries off the waste water 

 from the spring, or the fossils occurring in the vicinity of the 

 latter, overlooked — both being submitted to a chemical exami- 

 nation. It is scarcely to be apprehended, that analytical re- 

 search, thus conducted, and facilitated by all the resources of 

 modern chemistry, will leave much to future detection, that can 

 be deserving of medical regard. 



Thus, reasons, both chemical and philosophical, compel us 

 to admit, that mineral waters, prepared on scientific principles, 

 and with the observance of anundeviating accuracy of imitation, 

 will present us remedies, to the full as valuable as the original 

 springs ; — and recent medical experience tends amply to sup- 

 port such a conclusion. We might add, that they promise even 

 a more uniform efficacy than can be looked for in many of their 

 originals, whose constituent proportions are known, owing to 

 atmospherical influences, to fluctuate at times. Thus, varia- 

 tions of this kind have even been experienced in the springs of 

 Carlsbad and of Ems ; and the baths ofToplitz, in Bohemia, 

 have, within a period of five-and-twenty years, gradually been 

 deprived of one-half their solid contents. Dr. Scudamore's 

 *' Chemical and Medical Report" contains observations of the 

 samenatui'e, relative to the waters ofTunbridge-wells, Harrow- 



