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On the Vegetables which are Jhund in the Thermal Mineral 

 Waters of Abano, and in their immediate vicinity. By Dr 

 Andre jEwsKYi.* 



These waters are situated in the valley of the Po, not far 

 from Padua, and on the western slope of a small group of vol- 

 canic cones, denominated the Monti i.iolati by the inhabitants. 

 They rise very abruptly from the lowest part of the valley. 

 The spring we are now about to introduce to the notice of our 

 readers, has its origin at the very summit of one of those little 

 cones, known under the name of Montiron. The waters vary 

 in temperature from 122" to 145° Fahr., and contain soda, 

 lime, magnesia, alum, and the oxide of iron, also sulphuric 

 acid, silicic acid, chlorine, iodine, and bromine, differently com- 

 bined. 



The phanerogamous plants which grow nourished by these 

 waters, rarely attain their usual height, and, in truth, are always 

 more or less stunted. Thus the Althea rosea in flower is not 

 above a foot high ; the Hypericum perforatum is 2 inches and 

 8 hnes ; the Ajuga chamcepytis, 1 inch and 5 lines ; the Sedum 

 acre, 1 inch 3 lines ; the Spergula arvensis, 2 inches ; the Are- 

 naria rubra, 3 inches 3 lines ; the Mentha arvensis, 5 inches 6 

 lines; and the Adianthum Capillns Veneris, and the Mnium 

 and Bryum, grow most miserably. The plants which really 

 flourish in these localities, are those which thrive in the neigh- 

 bourhood of water ; and the four first which we enumerate are 

 found in the marshes about Venice : these are the Salicornia 

 herbaceay Samolus Valerandi, Juncus acutus, J. maritimus, 

 Atriplex veneta, Sonchus maritimus. Aster Tripolium, &c. 

 The soil in which these plants are produced is a tufFa, evidently 

 of volcanic origin. 



It is not to be supposed that all these plants are watered by 

 the spring at 1 45° Fahr. ; for it will be at once apparent, that 

 the temperature will be diminished in proportion as the vegeta- 

 bles are situated at a distance from the fountain-head. Never- 

 theless the Samolus Valerandi grows vigorously in water whose 



* Extracted from the Journal der Chirurgie und Augenheilkunde von 

 Graefe^et Walther. 4to. Cah. 1831. 



