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14. — On the supposed Chalybeate Spring at "Watfoed, and on 

 OTHER Medicinal Waters in Herts. 



By R. A. Pryor, B.A., F.L.S. 



[Read 13th January, 1876.] 



At page 63 of the second part of our ' Transactions ' there is an 

 inquiry as to a mineral spring, which, on the authority of the 

 'National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland,' is supposed to 

 have existed at Watford. I cannot help suspecting some error, 

 probably from careless copying, on the part of the topographer 

 quoted. 



Sir Henry Chauncy, in the ' Historical Antiquities of Hertford- 

 shire' (p. 6, — 1700), in his account of the " Waters in this county 

 that are physical," mentions a spring at Watton that was "dis- 

 covered about the year 1682, and by some experiments found of 

 very good use. It is of the nature with the waters of Timbridge, 

 but some think stronger ; it yields a very black tinctui-e with galls, 

 and will, if close stopped, do so after it hath been four days from 

 the spring; it is very useful to create an appetite," with other 

 beneficial effects, into the exact details of which it is not now 

 necessaiy to enter. The account in the ' Gazetteer ' is so evidently 

 taken from the passage just given, that there can be little doubt 

 that the confusion has arisen from the similarity of name of the 

 two places. 



The Watton chalybeate does not appear to have attracted much 

 public attention, and I am not aware that its properties have been 

 subjected to any further analysis. There were, however, other 

 waters in the county of a medicinal character, one at least of which 

 enjoyed for some time a considerable notoriety. Three such are 

 noticed by Chauncy.* The most celebrated was that "in the 

 Common, near Barnet." Of this the first mention is, I believe, to 

 be found in Fuller's ' Worthies of England,' published posthu- 

 mously in 1662. It had about that time " lately been discovered 

 in a Common, as generally sanative springs are found in such places, 

 as if Nature therein intimated her intention, designing them for 

 pubKque profit, not private employment ; it is conceived to run 

 through veins of alotne by the taste thereof. It coagulateth milk, 

 and the end thereof is an excellent plaister for any green wounds, 

 besides several other operations. But," he goes on to observe, 

 "as Alexander was wont to applaud Achilles, not as the most 

 valiant, but the most fortunate of men, having Homer to trumpet 

 forth his actions ; so are these waters much advantaged with the 

 vicinitie of London, whose citizens proclaim the praise thereof. 

 And indeed, London in this kind is stately attended, having three 

 Medicinal Waters (Tunbridge, Epshom, Bamet) within one dayes 

 journey thereof. The catalogue of the cures done by this spring,^'' 

 he continues, " amounting to a great number, insomuch that there 



* Hist. Antiq. Herts. 



