S26 Professor Forbes on an Intermitting Brine Spring. 



for cattle ; the evaporation to dryness yielding an intensely 

 bitter salt, consisting chiefly of muriate of magnesia, which is 

 afterwards employed in the manufacture of Epsom salts and 

 sal-ammoniac. The analysis of the mother liquor of 36 per 

 cent, strength, is, according to Kastner, the following : 



Chloride of Sodium, . ^ . 56.0100 grains. 



Potassium, . . . 20.0000 



, Lithion, . . . 4.0000 



Magnesium, . . 250.8400 



Muriate of Ammonia, . . . 0.0047 

 Hydrobromate of Magnesia, . 1 .3500 

 Hydriodate of Soda, . . . trace. 

 Sulphate of Soda, . . • 0.1225 

 Magnesia, . . . 31.8500 



364.1772 

 Water, 635.8228 



1000. 



Kastner states that he could detect not a trace of kreosote. 



This terminates what I have to say regarding the salt spring 

 of Kissingen, which I cannot help regarding as one of the most 

 remarkable in Europe. I had intended to have added some- 

 thing respecting the theory of its intermission. I have not, 

 however, been able to satisfy myself of any sufficient explana- 

 tion of its singular phenomena, which is not too complex to 

 give much hope of its representing the natural process accu- 

 rately. There can be little doubt that the interposition of 

 columns of gas conveying pressure somewhat on the principle of 

 Hero's fountain, acts an important part. It might even be 

 possible to devise a mechanical theory which should explain the 

 singular fact of the action of the pumps accelerating its periods ; 

 but I have not thought it worth pursuing in detail. 



. Edinburgh, 2\8t November 1838. 



