Analysis of a poxcerfid Chalybeate Water from Vicar^s Bridge^ 

 near Dollar in Clackmannanshire. By Arthur Connell, 

 Esq. F. R. S. E. Communicated by the Author. .^ ^, 



X HIS mineral water was first, I believe, observed in the coucif 

 of last summer, and has excited considerable interest in the 

 neighbourhood of the place where it is found. It has been 

 much used medicinally by the common people of the vicinity ; 

 in all probability in many complaints for which it was very ill 

 adapted. It has, however, been found beneficial, when em- 

 ployed with a due regard to its great strength, in some of those 

 diseases for which iron is of advantage ; and it has now made 

 its way to other places. .(u 



The water is described by my friend Mr Tait, who sent to 

 me a portion of it for analysis, as being found in those mines 

 or excavations from which clay ironstone is obtained at Vicar"'s 

 Bridge. The excavations are worked out in beds of a kind of 

 shale which contains the iron-ore ; and the water forms separate 

 pools on the floor or pavement of the several compartments of 

 the mines. The beds of shale probably form a part of the 

 coal-strata of the neighbourhood, although I have not had any 

 opportunity of examining them. The general appearance of 

 the water of these several pools is described as being much the 

 same, although the solutions are supposed to differ somewhat in 

 str^i^gtb. That sent to me was conceived to be the strongest 

 impregnation. 



The colour of the water was a dark red. Its taste strongly 

 astringent, with some acidity. It reddened litmus paper. Its 

 specific gravity at 62° F. was 1 .04893. This high state of con- 

 centration constitutes its principal peculiarity. The above spe- 

 cific gravity is considerably greater than that of sea water ; and 

 exceeds that of any other natural saline impregnation of which 

 I have read, either in Great Britain or in foreign countries, with 

 the exception of the water of the Dead Sea. 



The action of reagents was as follows : With respect to those 

 reactions, showing the presence of iron, I shall be a little par- 

 ticular, with the view of determining the state of oxidation of 

 the iron. 



