and other Mineral Springs. 155 



with a little of the brown ; and the mixture re-assum- 

 ed, in great part, the purple colour : but on standing 

 eighteen hours, it became transparent. 



It would appear, from these observations of Bishop 

 Madison, that the principal ingredients which this 

 water possesses, are fixed air, or carbonic acid, and 

 calcareous earth. The experiment made with the 

 galls demonstrates, that there is no iron in the water. 

 For a time, I suspected the existence of a small por- 

 tion of sulphur ; but by no experiment that we could 

 make did this idea appear to be just. The circum- 

 stance that the water loses its acidulous taste, by- 

 passing it from one glass to another, would seem to 

 indicate, that this taste is owing to some quality that 

 is very volatile. And yet, as common water is aci- 

 dulated by the air collected from the Spring, it is 

 manifest that the taste is derived from it. Perhaps, 

 the air itself may be a compound, and that one of its 

 constituent parts may be the volatile, and the other 

 not. This seems to be indicated by the two facts, 

 that even boiling the water does not deprive it of the 

 fixed air ; and that pouring it from one glass to an- 

 other deprives it of its taste. 



The water of these Springs is seldom agreeable, 

 when first used, and almost as seldom fail to become 

 highly so, when used for some time. Commonly, the 

 attachment to it becomes so great, that it is left with 

 reluctance, and longed for afterwards. There are 

 some, however, who never become fully reconciled to 



