Intelligence and Miscellanies. 187 
16. Note on the presence of Iron in the Salt Springs of 
Salina, N. Y. by Lewis C. Beck, M. D.—The question 
whether the Salina waters contain iron has been frequent- 
ly discussed. Drs. Benjamin Dewitt and McNevin, and 
r. Chilton, in their analyses do not mention it as an ingre- 
dient; and the only affirmative statement is by Dr. Noyes, 
who conducted his researches in iron kettles, and whose tes- 
timony on this point is therefore open to objection. In the. 
paper which I published upon these waters, I stated the rea- 
sons which induced me to believe that they did not con- 
tain iron. These were that the ferrocyanate of potash and 
nutgalls, did not produce the changes of color to be expect- 
ed from the presence of any of the known salts of that 
met 
change from limpid transparency to a purple color, which 
sob beceens green and finally of a reddish brown; and af- 
ter standing two or three weeks, there was a dark brown 
case, offered by a combination of galls and iron. The only 
change occuring under these circumstances Is from that of 
or of the precipitate when it is exposed for any length of 
time to the air. e : 
The facts stated by Mr. Smith may, I think —— 
torily accounted for without the necessity of referring them 
to the presence of iron. The Salina waters are known a 
contain lime in various states of combination. Gallic acid, 
one of the constituents of the gallnut, is also known to com- 
