343 
Properties of the Springs,” commencing with a few additional 
remarks on the origin of the heat of the water, quoting a celebrated 
French Geologist, M. Elie de Beaumont, who has enumerated “ five 
distinct periods of volcanic convulsions which have affected this 
world in Geological times,” the third of such periods occurring at 
the close of the ancient Paleozoic systems and commencement of 
the secondary periods, or in other words in the Middle Ages of 
Geological time. This convulsion being so great and general that 
wherever the Carboniferous system can be seen in Europe or 
America it is found to be thrown up into mountain ridges or sunk 
into basin-like depressions. That the molten eruptive material of 
the earths interior was the cause of the disturbance, and that the 
pressure of the sinking basin forced the molten lava through the 
surface at the dyke. The water sinking deep into the disturbed 
ground around the dyke comes into contact with a remnant of the 
volcanic heat. 
The mineral ingredients of our springs was next dealt with. 
Our springs contain no more Calcium Carbonate than ordinary 
spring water. Magnesium, Carbonate and Chloride is un- 
doubtedly derived from the limestone formation through which 
the water passes from Mendip to Bath. Bath water contains 
a large proportion of Calcium Sulphate, the Sulphuric in this and 
in compound with Sodium and Potassium amounts to 67 grains of 
a total of 168, L. D. Dana, one of the greatest mineralogists of 
the day was quoted to prove ‘‘ The great repositories of Sulphur 
are active and extinct volcanos.” Calcium Sulphate as a geo- 
logical formation is peculiar to the age succeeding the great 
volcanic eruption above referred to, and contemporary with the 
Sodium Chloride or common salt deposits of Cheshire and 
Worcestershire. Coupling with this the Potassium of our springs 
make up the bulk of the mineral properties. These are all 
essentially the production of eruptive and volcanic rocks. The 
voleanic rock on Mendip which lies in the course of our water is 
described by H. B. Woodward, F.G.S., as a Felstone. 
