ORIGIN OF MINERAL SPRINGS. 225 



Two opinions now divide geologists as to the origin of such 

 veins. One regards them as the result of injection from subter- 

 ranean sources, similar to the origin which Dr. Beck ascribes to 

 the Sulphur Springs of New York ; the other ascribes to segrega- 

 tion, the materials having been furnished by the rock either by 

 transudation or percolation of moisture or water, aided by that 

 power which exists, wherever dissimilar masses and dissimilar 

 particles co-exist. 



It must be obvious, that should the connection betsveen the 

 som'ce of mineral springs, and the rock from which, generally, they 

 issue, be established, it would give a decided bias to the doctrine 

 of segregation, if it did not fully establish it. 



There is no intention in this communication, to absolutely 

 confine the source from whence waters have derived their mine- 

 ral contents, to the rock from whence they issue, excepting gene- 

 rally ; for the fact is well established, that most, if not all of our 

 thermal springs, as well as those of other countries, are connected 

 with faults, and have come from great depths, as their tempera- 

 ture makes manifest ; but to those only where no faults exist, the 

 temperature of which is usually that of common springs, being 

 about the mean annual temperatm'e of their locality, such as the 

 sulplim- springs of New York, its brine springs, its acidulous sa- 

 line chalybeates, &c. 



It is proposed to show that the rock from whence a mineral 

 spring or springs issue, as a general rule, has given origin to them ; 

 there being a general connection as to kinds of springs and rock : 

 that though the same kind of water may issue from different 

 kinds of rock, as in the sulphur springs of New York, yet the 

 number of the springs and the quantity of water of the kind 

 which discharges along the long line of undisturbed gypseous rock 

 of that State, show a connection with the rock, which would not 

 be the case were the sulphur water of volcanic origin ; for it then 

 would appear by fissures from those below that rock, which is 

 not the fact in any instance, either as to number of springs, or 

 quantity of water, they being but few, and yielding but little Ava- 

 ter comparatively, though the position of that rock, at the north 



