4oi E,i[)crimcnh tipon distilled Sea-lVater. 



di>>til!ed to prepare, for the space of a month, bread and other 

 food," for a certain number of criminals who were employed on 

 the works of those ports, and also to supply them with drink, 

 beepinji; from them during that period everv other hquid. Ten 

 or twelve of these persons at each port voiuntarilv came forward 

 and offered themselves for the experiment. 



The persons emjjloyed by Government first distilled a suffi- 

 cient quantity of sea-water, without the admixture of any other 

 substance ; this produce dissolved soap, dressed vegetables, pro- 

 duced the same appearances wiUi the aerometer as that di- 

 stilled from spring water. There was no difference between 

 the one and the other. But the distilled sea-water had always 

 that empyrcumatic smell and taste of whicli we have before 

 .spoken; and ic was so strong, that the Commission at Toulon 

 called it Odeur de marine, and that of Rochefort, Odevr de 

 warecage. But this is not peculiar to sea-water,, for the resuic 

 of a distillation of fresh water has always the sam-e t;iste and 

 smell. 



Neither of these liquids immediately loses this by being filtered 

 through charcoal ; but by being exposed for some time to the 

 air, the distilled sea-water loses this unpleasant quality, and then 

 it does not differ from fresh water derived from the purest source, 

 and both have equally stood every chemical test to which thev 

 have been exposed. The chemical properties of this water 

 having thus been determined, it remains to give an account of 

 the effects upon the individuals who underwent the experiment. 

 These are the principal results: 



Brest. — -During the first days those who drank the water 

 complained of a. weight upon the stomach. Tliis indisposition, 

 which was the only one thev experienced, soon decreased upon 

 taking exercise, and totally went off l>y an additional ounce of 

 biscuit added to their common ration. Oiie of them on the 

 twenty-ninth day had a few symptoms, but which he himself 

 attributed to an indigestion, from some bacon he had eaten. 

 Eight individuals drank twenty-five pints a-day, rather more than 

 tiree pints each. [N.B, The Frenclr pint cotitains very near 

 iifty-seven cubic inches English measure, and is the regulation 

 size for the claret or Bordeaux bottle; but in general the bot- 

 tles are rather smaller. The French pint, therefore, is equal 

 to rather more than li/-20ths of an English quart, wine mea- 

 .ure.] 



ToiTLON. — The results obtained at the Arsenal of this towii 

 were not less decisive or satisfactory. The six persons who made 

 the experiment acquired a greater degree of freshness in their 

 appearance, and were much fatter. Their daily consumption 

 of i5i:,tilled water uai nine pounds {poids de marc) for drink, and 



eleven 



