Chemical Science. 409 



carbonate of lime in solution to be acid ; but it is strongly- 

 alkaline, and scarcely any quantity of carbonic acid water put 

 to it, will overcome this alkalinity. Pure carbonic acid water 

 is, however, acid to the tests. I could not be convinced of the 

 remarkable fact stated in this paragraph, till I actually formed 

 super-carbonate of lime, by super-saturating lime water in the 

 usual way, till the liquid from beino- milky became clear. It 

 still continued limy, and was even doubtfully so when two or 

 three times the quantity of acid was added. It should seem, 

 then, to be as impossible to obtain a neutral carbonate of lime, 

 as it is to obtain a neutral carbonate of ammonia, in the sense 

 here attached to the word neutral." — Menwirs of the Manchester 

 Society. 



4. On Sulphureous Mineral Wafers, and the Nitrogen con- 

 tained in thetn. — The existence of nitrogen in mineral waters has 

 frequently been ascertained, and its quantity stated ; but no very 

 precise ideas have hitherto been published, on the cause of its 

 existence in the waters, and the attempt of M. Anglada is, per- 

 haps, the first made to shew its source, and the situations in 

 which it may be expected. Having observed from the expe- 

 rience of others and himself, that nitrogen occurred in waters 

 containing sulphuretted hydrogen, he was induced to search 

 whether it was not constantly present in such waters, and find- 

 ing that to be the case, reasoned and experimented upon its 

 production. In many sulphurous springs, the sources of which 

 were easily arrived at, it was readily observed, that nitrogen 

 either rose from tlie sides of the spring, or could be obtained 

 without difficulty from the water; but in others, which were 

 confined by pipes or conduits, it was necessary to open up the 

 works, and get to the source. In all cases, however, sulphurous 

 waters were found to contain nitrogen ; and it was remarked, 

 that though the water contained abundance of sulphuretted 

 hydrogen, the gas contained none. 



M. Anglada expected by heat to obtain sulphuretted hydro- 

 gen and carl)onic acid gas from sulphureous water ; but in no 

 case obtained any thing except pure nitrogen gas. Guided by 

 this result, he concluded that, in all the sulphureous waters that 

 had thus yielded him nitrogen, that gas came from the air which 

 the waters had taken up in their subterraneous course, and from 

 which the oxygen had been separated by the sulphur, &c. In 

 order, as it were, to prove this opinion, a portion of a sul- 

 phureous water was treated with acetate of lead, to separate all 

 the sulphuretted hydrogen from it, and then boiled : it gave 

 out more gas than before, and the gas was a mixture of oxygen 

 and hydrogen. 



The air thus furnished to waters, is given to them, M. Anglada 

 Vol. Xri. 2 E 



