176 An Analysis of two. Mineral 
the ultimate degree of perfection is indefinite: for 
the ascertainment of a single fact often throws light 
upon a vast variety of appearances, which were pre- 
viously detached, solitary, and inexplicable; so true 
is the remark of a profound writer,* that “ our 
knowledge increases, not as new objects increase, 
but in a much higher proportion.” 
Lemington Priors is a village two miles east of 
the town of Warwick, which receives its name from 
the Lem, a small stream which passes near it. The 
salt spring, which rises near the church-yard, has 
been long known, and used by the country people 
of the neighbourhood. It has been noticed by 
most of the older writers on the mineral waters of 
this country. Another spring rises in the bed of 
the river, near the bridge; and is frequently over- 
flown by the water of the river. But the two 
springs, which are the subject of the following ana- 
lysis, have been recently discovered; and they are 
now considerably resorted to, being used internally 
and for the purpose of bathing. In consequence of 
this, they first engaged my attention in a medical 
view: but I propose, in this paper, to confine my- 
self to the consideration of their chemical proper- 
ties. As they both rise a great many feet below 
the surface of the earth; and as their source is un- 
known, it scems needless to enter into any particu- 
* Maclaurin, 
