536 RECENT. 



Chalybeate, containing salts of iron (from the Greek, chahibos) ; with two 

 divisions, carbonated and sidphated. 



Sulphuretted, containing sulphur, in the form of sulphuretted hydrogen. 

 These springs are often called " stinking wells," and their flavour has been likened 

 to that of "the washings out of a gun-barrel." 



Saline, containing salts of soda, lime, magnesia, etc. When chloride of sodium 

 is the chief ingredient, the waters constitute Brine springs ; and when carbonate 

 of lime is in excess, they are termed Calcareous or Petrifying Springs. 



Thermal Springs are so called from their unusual or excessive temperature;^ 

 ordinary spring water being from 47° to 51°. 



Warm and tepid springs occur at Buxton, Bakewell, Stoney Middleton, Matlock, 

 Taafe's Well near Cardiff, Bath, Batheaston, and at Vincent's Rocks, Clifton, near 

 Bristol. 



The spring at Buxton, called St. Anne's Well, rises in the Carboniferous Lime- 

 stone, has a temperature of 82°, and contains salts of soda and magnesia ; the 

 Romans made use of it. At Bakewell the temperature of the spring is 60°. 



At Matlock Bath there are tepid springs having a temperature of 68°, and they 

 were brought into notice about the year 169S. Their composition is as follows : — 



Grains per imp. gallon. 



Chloride of sodium 4"57 



Sulphate of magnesia 9' 73 



,, Hme 2-04 



Carbonate of lime 14'68 



Silica 071 



Taff's or Taafe's well at Eglwysilan, near Cardiff, rises from the Coal-measures, 

 and contains salts of lime, magnesia and soda ; it has a temperature of 65° and 

 evolves nitrogen.^ 



At Clifton the Hotvvell, which rises from the Carboniferous Limestone, contains 

 as chief ingredients sulphate of soda, carbonate and sulphate of lime, and chloride 

 of sodium. In temperature it varies from 70° to 76°. 



The most important thermal springs are those of Bath, which are the hottest in 

 England. They have, since the time of the Romans, been renowned for their 

 sanatory properties. There are four springs, rising from the same source, and 

 their temperature varies from 104° to 120° Fahr., but on the whole it is remarkably 

 uniform at all seasons of the year. The discharge of the waters (about 385,000 

 gallons daily) has, so far as observation has gone, remained very constant ; but 

 the amount of salts, according to analyses, varies from 144 to 168 grains per 

 imperial gallon. The following analysis of the Bath waters was made by Prof. J. 

 Attf^eld : ^^— 



Carbonate of lime 7'S4 



Sulphate of lime 94''° 



Nitrate of lime "56 



Carbonate of magnesia "56 



Chloride of magnesium I5'24 



Chloride of sodium IS'^5 



Sulphate of sodium 23' 14 



Sulphate of potash 670 



Nitrate of potash I'05 



Carbonate of iron I'2I 



Silica 270 



168-25 



' It has been suggested that these sources of heat should be utilized. J. S. 

 Gardner, G. Mag. 18S5, p. 397 ; Judd, Volcanoes, ed. 2, p. 335. 



- T. W. Thomas, Trans. Cardiff Nat. Soc. ix. 48. 



3 See also Merck and Galloway, Mem. Chem. Soc. iii. 272 ; Capt. M. Heriot, 

 Proc. Bath Nat. Hist. Soc. iii. 163 ; Dr. R. B. Falconer, Baths and Mineral 

 Waters of Bath, ed. 7, 18S1. 



