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Soft water is the moft proper for the wafhing 

 and bleaching of linen, the making of paper, and 

 for moft medicinal purpofes. It mixes Tiore uni- 

 formly with milk, and does not curdle it, as hard 

 waters frequently do. It boils peafe and beans 

 fofter, and mixes better with flour, rice, oatmeal, 

 &c. In boiling meat it gives it a more agreeable 

 colour than hard water, which often boils it red. 



There are however fome purpofes, to which 

 hard water is more proper : as, in feveral kinds 

 of dying; in making (larch; and in the rincing 

 of foap out of linen, after it has been wafhed ; as 

 it is obferved to give the linen a better colour, 

 ^ and an agreeable firmnefs or crifpnefs j but the 

 linen thus treated requires more foap, when it- 

 comes to be w^afhed again. Hard water gives a 

 better colour to greens, and a firmnefs to all foits 

 of fifh, efpecially cod, when boiled in it. 



The Burton, Nottinghamihire, Liverpool, and 

 feveral other kinds of ale, which are much ad- 

 mired, are faid to be brewed with hard water. But 

 Dr. Mead and others condemn the ufe of thefe li- 

 quors, as produdlive of various diforders, and par- 

 ticularly th^ cholic. 



From 



