rilK MKDKIXAI, SI'KI.XCS Ol' Sol'Til AKKICA. 345 



3S. U'arnibad. Olifaiils l\i:'cr Bed. 



Tlie si)ring is situated in the bed of tlie Olifants River, a 

 few miles above the junction of the C^lifants and (lamka Rivers, 

 and about 30 miles south-west of the town of ()udtsh(K)rn. It 

 is dammed up to enclose a pond about 40 feet s(|uare and 3 to 4 

 feet deep. When the river is in flood everytliinj>- is completely 

 submerged. The tem])erature of the water is i 14° I''., and it 

 rises from north-dipping Bokkeveld beds. The value of the iron 

 is considerably below that usually considered necessary to impart 

 to a spring the nature of a chalybeate water, but this may be due 

 to partial precipitati<^n of the iron before analysing. According 

 to Juritz, 



Local opinion ascrilies therapeutic properties to the water, and con- 

 siderable mimbers of people are said to have recovered from rheumatism 

 by the use of the liaths and the subsequent sweating to which patients are 

 subjected. ATany farmers from the surrounding district visit the spot 

 througliout the year for treatment, while during the periods of drought 

 the spring forms the sole source of water for all domestic purposes to 

 every inhabitant within a radius of ^2 miles.* 



Medical opinion holds that the water is particularly efficacious in 

 chronic arthritis and gout. The spring was already known as a 

 medicinal spring over 60 years ago, and is referred to by Gum- 

 precht,t but apparently the bathing conditions are as primitive 

 now as they were then. There is nothing more than a few 

 miserable reed huts in the immediate vicinit\'. 



39. Innngi. 



There are several chalybeate springs in the bed of the Um- 

 zimvubu River, on the farm Inungi, west of Kokstad. Thev 

 issue from nearly horizontal Middle Beaufort beds. The one 

 to which the analysis refers, has a temperature of 12° C, and is 

 remarkable for its composition. The water is accompanied bv 

 gas, wdiich seems to be mainly carbon dioxide inixed with a 

 little sulphuretted hydrogen. About i^-^ miles downstream a 

 spring of similar nature, but slightly warmer (24.8° C), issues 

 from the bank of the river. Neither of the springs have ap- 

 ])arently been used medicinally. 



40. Caledon. 



The Caledon springs issue from south-dipping Table Moun- 

 tain .sandstone of the Caledon mountains, and have a temperature 

 of 120° F. The iron content of the Caledon water is of the 

 same order as that of the Adelheidbrunnen, Langenschwalbach 

 (1477 grams per 100,000), or of the Geronstere spring. Spa, 

 Belgium. In point of tem})erature the water was almost unique 

 until the Zwartkoi)s borehole was sunk. There are very ifew 

 European chalybeate springs of higher temperature. The best- 

 known is Bain Fort, Rennes les Bains, France (51° C). The 



* C. F. Juritz: "Underground Waters of the Cape Colbny," (1908). 

 I/. 



t"Die Mineralquellen auf dem Festlande von Afrika." 



