IX. 



THE CHEMISTRY OF NATURAL 

 WATERS. 



This paper appeared in the American Journal of Science for March, July, and Sep- 

 tember, 1865. In reprinting it, the original tables of analyses have been omitted, and 

 in their place a few typical analyses only are given. Some other omissions have been 

 made for the sake of brevity, and a few notes added. In a Supplement I have given 

 the results of the examination of additional waters of the first class, some of them 

 remarkable for the great amount of soluble sulphides present ; and in an Appendix, 

 details and results of experiments on the porosity of rocks. Both the Supplement and 

 the Appendix are from the Report of the Geological Survey of Canada for 1863 - 66. 



IT is proposed to divide this essay into three parts, in the 

 first of which will be considered some general principles which 

 must form the basis of a correct chemical history of natural 

 waters. The second part will embrace a series of chemical 

 analyses of mineral waters from the palaeozoic rocks of the 

 Champlain and St. Lawrence and Ottawa basins, together with 

 some river-waters ; and the third part will consist chiefly of 

 deductions and generalizations from these analyses. 



CONTENTS OF SECTIONS. 1. Atmospheric waters ; 2, 3. Eesults of vege- 

 table decay; 4-7. Action on rocky sediments; 8. Action on iron-oxide ; 

 9. Solution of alumina; 10. Eeduction of sulphates; 11. Kaolinization ; 

 12. Decay of silicates; 13. Origin of carbonate of soda; 14. Bischof's 

 view rejected ; 15, 16. Porosity of rocks, and their contained saline 

 waters; 17. Saliferous strata; 18. Action of carbonate of soda on saline 

 waters; 19. Origin of sulphate of magnesia; 20, 21. Mitscherlich's view 

 rejected; 22,23. Salts from evaporating sea- water ; composition of ancient 

 seas; origin of carbonate of lime; 24-27. Origin of gypsum, carbonate of 

 magnesia, and dolomite ; 28. Waters from oxidized sulphurets ; 29. Origin 

 of free sulphuric and hydrochloric acids ; 30. Of hydrosulphuric and boric 

 acids ; 31. Of carbonic-acid gas ; 32. Of ammoniacal salts ; 33 - 35. Classi- 

 fication of mineral waters. 



1. The solvent powers of water are such that this liquid 

 is never met with in nature in a perfectly pure state; even 



