860° Analysis of the Mineral Waters [Nov. 
‘excellent illustration of this. It contains, according to Bergman’s’ 
analysis, injan English pint, 
Carbonicacid gas. ..cccyeeccessece) 14 CUD. iN. 
Carbonate of lime .........e00.++- 3 grains 
Carbonate of magnesia .......+.--. 5 
Carbonate. Of S0da bas sis o.0 4010 ctireieees) 
Marinate 'of \SOUB. 4/613 noise wim a dceseip; becsicd 4ce 
But adopting the opposite view, the composition, so far as the 
uncertainty of the state of the products, to which Bergman’s esti- 
mate is referred, admits of calculating the proportions, will be, 
Carbonic acid gas ............ 17 cub.in, 
Muriate of lime .............. 3°3 grains 
Muriate of magnesia .......... 5 
Munlate of soda. cj.ce. cee ees 758 
Carbonate of soda ............ 10°3 dry, or 18 crystallized.* 
It might be supposed that so large a proportion of carbonate of 
soda could not exist with the muriates of magnesia and lime without 
decomposing them, that this yiew of the constitution of this water 
is therefore precluded, and that Bergman’s is just. And in this case 
the non-precipitation of the carbonates of magnesia and lime may 
be supposed to be owing to the solvent power of the excess of car- 
bonic acid; to which cause, accordingly, it has been ascribed. But 
on making the experiment, I found that the above quantities might 
be dissolved in a pint of water, independent of the presence of the 
excess of carbonic acid, without any apparent decomposition, the 
solution being transparent, and remaining so on exposure to the air. 
The same fact has even been observed with regard to the natural 
water; for although on exposure to the air it becomes vapid, and its 
taste js merely sensibly alkaline, the carbonates are not precipitated ; 
the precipitation takes place only when heat is applied, so as to 
evaporate the water to a certain extent: and with regard to this, a 
fact is mentioned by Bergman not less conclusive. ‘The carbonate 
of lime is first deposited, with scarcely any mixture of carbonate of 
magnesia; the latter separates only by continued evaporation ; and 
it is even necessary to evaporate to dryness, and redissolve in hot 
* The following is the calculation from which these proportions are assigned. 
Three grains of carbonate of lime are equivalent to 3°3 of real muriate of lime: 
five grains of carbonate of magnesia in the state in which it was obtained by 
Bergan, that is, the powder precipitated and dried, are equivalent to five grains 
of real muriate of magnesia. In converting the first of these muriates into car- 
bonate, 3°2 grains of dry common carbonate, or subcarbonate of soda, would be 
expended ; and in the conversion of the second muriate, 5°7 grains, making 8-9 
grains, to whichare to be added 1-4 grain, the quantity contained in the four 
grains of the crystallized carbonate obtained as the direct product of the analysis, 
making in all, as stated above, 10°3 grains, Lastly, in these decompositions of 
the earthy muriafes, 9°7 grains of muriate of soda would be formed, which, de- 
ducted from the 17-5 obtained in the analysis, leaves 7°8 as the quantity which the 
water really contains, 
