On the Water of Tunbridge Wells. 349 
Wells, for domestic purposes, is taken immediately from the 
draw-well, or pump, when wanted, it would be worth the 
trouble, with those who use such water, to ascertain upon what 
the hardness depends, and in what state of combination the 
steel exists; and if existing in the way already stated, they 
would readily get good soft water by the means suggested 
above. 
As my summer residence at Tunbridge-Wells has made me 
acquainted with many invalids who have occasionally resorted 
thither, under an erroneous notion that from feeling weak they 
would be benefited by the strengthening powers of the chaly- 
beate spring, I take this opportunity of stating that I have wit- 
nessed a good deal of mischief, from an improper and incau- 
tious use of the chalybeate water. Although the iron con- 
tained in a given quantity of the water is very small, yet in many 
cases it acts as a powerful, and sometimes an injurious, stimulus, 
The kinds of disease which I have found induce patients, very 
imprudently, to take these waters, have been some chronic 
affections, dependant upon preternatural fulness, coughs sup- 
posed to arise from a morbid state of the stomach, when the 
pulse has shewn no acceleration, and some affections of the 
head, called nervous. In these cases, inflammation of the 
lungs, disposition to apoplexy, gc., have been brought on. 
Too much caution, therefore, cannot be used by persons who 
are desirous of drinking these waters, before they properly 
ascertain the precise nature of their ailments. 
While upon this subject, I may as well mention some parti- 
culars which occurred, while the men were sinking the well 
from which the water was procured. It was necessary to 
cut through a considerable quantity of very hard rock of differ- 
ent qualities: below the surface of the soil, the first substance 
met with was clay, about two or three feet thick ; the men then 
came to a hard sandstone, and after this there was a stratum 
of hard blue limestone, which, upon exposure to the air for 
several days, became of a very light colour, nearly white, 
and crumbled into powder. There were alternate strata of this 
limestone and soft blue marl of an unctuous feel, evidently the 
