126 MEETING OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION 



Wednesday. — Professor Daubeny read his report on the present 

 state of our knowledge with regard to Mineral Waters. 



He first stated the ingredients that had been detected in atmos- 

 pheric water, and in that of the sea and lakes ; and then proceeded 

 to detail the facts of recent observation noted with respect, first, to 

 the temperature, secondly, the ingredients solid and gaseous, and 

 thirdly, the medical properties of particular waters. He pointed 

 out the source of these ingredients, explained in what manner cer- 

 tain thermal springs obtain the carbonate of soda with which they 

 are impregnated, and the manner of the solution of the silica in 

 water — stated the quantity of carbonic acid gas, of nitrogen, and of 

 sulphuretted hydrogen, present in various springs ; and referred to 

 the manner in which the effect of snow water in producing goitre 

 has been recently accounted for. He concluded by explaining the 

 origin of the heat of springs, and of the gases they emit ; attribut- 

 ing the former to certain chemical processes going on in the inte- 

 rior of the earth, by which oxygen is abstracted, and considering 

 the nitrogen as the residuum of the atmospheric air, which had 

 been deprived of its oxygen by the processes alluded to. 



Mr. Mushet exhibited some specimens of Iron Ore, and explained 

 the process by which iron is generally separated from its ore. He 

 also exhibited a specimen of iron cement produced by himself, 

 and which he stated possessed greater binding qualities than any 

 other cement. 



Thursday. — Dr. Dalton entered into an explanation of his sys- 

 tem of Atomic Symbols, a printed Diagram of which was handed 

 to the members of the section. The first part contained the form 

 he had used for representing the primary or simple element ; and 

 the second, various combinations which sufficiently shewed the 

 manner in which the principle proceeded. 



Dr. Thompson read a detailed account of the experiments he had 

 made on the combination of sulphuric acid and water. The Doctor 

 first distributed tables of the results among the members of the sec- 

 tion, without which, he said, the subject could not be understood. 

 The object of the experiments were stated to be — 1st. To ascertain 

 the specific gravity of atomic mixtures of sulphuric acid and water; 

 and 2nd. The specific heat of all those combinations. The thanks 

 of the section were moved to Dr. Thompson for his valuable and 

 original paper, which was warmly eulogized by Drs. Apjohn and 

 Dalton, and Mr. Herapath. 



Mr. W. C. Jones read a paper on a peculiar modification of glu- 

 ten, and on a peculiar volatile fluid. , He stated that the compounds 

 he described were procured in an elaborate analysis of wheat. The 

 result of the quantity of its relative ingredients was very different 

 to that obtained by preceding chemists. The gluten, of which he 

 produced a specimen, differed entirely from that obtained in the 

 usual way, being perfectly soluble in alcohol and water, and also 

 possessed other interesting properties. The peculiar volatile fluid 

 was obtained from the distillation of the lignin of wheat with sul- 



