246 Mr. George's Analysis of a Sulphuretted Water 



the boring by a casing of iron pipes descending into a solid 

 stratum of shale. 



Analysis. 



Specific gi-avity TOO 155. 



The water when taken from the spring appears clear and 

 sparkling, has a considerable sulphuretted odour, slightly blues 

 reddened litmus; reddens turmeric; with solution of soap 

 gives a very slight curdy precipitate. Lime-water occasions a 

 precipitate both before and after ebullition. Oxalate of am- 

 monia no precipitate ; in the concentrated water a slight cloudi- 

 ness. Nitrate of barytes, a precipitate ; the addition of a few 

 drops of nitric acid removed nearly the whole with efferves- 

 cence. Nitrate of silvei', a precipitate with an immediate slight 

 discoloration. Ferrocyanate of potash, no precipitate, nor any 

 change of colour. Acetate of lead, a copious precipitate with 

 a brown tinge, before boiling, — a colourless precipitate after 

 ebullition. 



Nitro-muriate of platinum does not occasion any precipitate 

 in the concentrated water after boiling. The concentrated 

 water possesses a strong alkaline taste, and deeply reddens 

 turmeric paper : not the slightest cloudiness was perceptible 

 after boiling the water twenty minutes with the addition of 

 carbonate of soda. Phosphate of soda gave no indication of 

 magnesia. 



The action of tests shows that sulphuretted hydrogen exists 

 in a gaseous state, that the carbonate, muriate, and sulphate 

 of an alkali are present, and that the alkali is soda ; that the 

 water does not contain any metallic salt, any muriate of lime, 

 or any salt of magnesia. 



Gaseous conterits. 



Having ascertained the gases contained in the water to be 

 sulphuretted hydrogen, carburetted hydrogen, oxygen and 

 azote ; — a wine gallon of the water was boiled in a proper ap- 

 paratus, and gave out 12 cubic inches of gas. — The experiment 

 was repeated several times with the same result. 



1. To ascertain the amount of sulphuretted hydrogen, ex- 

 posed a cubic inch of the gas, contained in a graduated glass 

 tube, to contact, by very gende agitation, with carbonate of 

 lead; (obtained by precipitating [the carbonate of lead] from a 

 solution of acetate of lead by carbonate of ammonia as directed 

 by Dr. Henry, in his excellent paper "On the analysis of coal 

 gas") 0-22 of a cubic inch was absorbed. Having thus separated 

 the sulphuretted hydrogen, agitated the residue in a solution 

 of caustic potash, a further diminution of 0-18 of a cubic inch 

 of carbonic acid gas took place. 



2. 0-33 



