1249 



WATER. 



WATER-LILY. 



12() 



acid is almost entirely absent. Their predominating ingredients are 

 the carbonate and sulphate of lime, sulphate of magnesia, and oxide 

 of iron. 



"5. The trachytio and basaltic formations, and modern volcanic 

 rocks, present in their mineral waters many of the circumstances of 

 temperature and composition which are found in the waters of the 

 granite and other primitive rocks. Sulphuretted hydrogen, carbonic 

 acid, carbonate of soda, carbonate of lime, and silica reappear, and 

 many contain the free sulphuric and muriatic acids. The sulphate of 

 lime, magnesian salts, and oxide of iron are again wanting. Thus, 

 even in the present imperfect state of the science, the phenomena of 

 mineral waters coincide with other geognostic observations, in placing 

 below the granite the origin of the volcanic formations. 



" 6. It is often found that the mineral waters of a district have 

 almost the same composition, in which case they generally issue from 

 the crystalline and independent formations. In other cases they are 

 subject to great varieties within a comparatively limited space, so 

 that waters of a totally different composition rise close to each other, 

 when they emerge from sedimentary rocks." (Gairdner, p. 242.) 

 [SpRMGg, MINERAL, in ARTS AND Sc. Div.] 



One of the next obvious practical distinctions between spring 

 waters is that of thermal and cold. It is found that springs vary in 

 temperature, according to the heat of the strata through which they 

 pass. This is sometimes so great as to become very obvious to the 

 senses. Though had recourse to for medicinal purposes, these springs 

 naturally heated are not found to be more beneficial than those 

 artificially heated. The medical use of the thermal springs has 

 however served to mark their presence in many spots. Thus they 

 are found in this country at Mattock and Buxton, and also at Bath 

 and Bristol. On the continent at Aix-la-Chapelle, Baden Baden, in 

 the Pyrenees, and many other places. Thermal springs are found in 

 connection with volcanic action, and usually where this action is 

 greatest the springs are warmest. This is seen in the Geysers of Ice- 

 land. [GEYSERS.] Heated waters dissolve up a larger quantity of 

 saline constituents than cold waters, hence the amount of change 

 produced by thermal waters is greater than that produced by 

 cold. 



Another class of substances which are found in all waters, and 

 which give to many of them a special character, are oreanic matters. 

 Living organisms, as the microscopic forms of Algce [DIATOMACES ; 

 DKSMIDE.K], are common in almost all kinds of water, and a large 

 number of plants and animals belonging to higher classes live in 

 water. These die and decompose, and before they are resolved into 

 chemical compounds of the organic elements are found in the form 

 of fermenting and putrefying matters, which when taken into the 

 animal system appear capable of producing a tendency to disease. 

 These substances however are not so common in spring-waters as in 

 river-waters. Some of them have been supposed to have a definite 

 chemical nature, and have been named Glacirine, Zoogene, Barejjene, 

 &c. (Lankester, ' Askern and its Mineral Springs.') 



River- Water mostly originates in springs, augmented by rain-water. 

 If it flows over sand or granite, it is found very pure, depositing in 

 its course many earthy salts, especially the calcareous ones, from the 

 escape of carbonic acid. This circumstance renders the water vapid, 

 and less pleasant to drink than spring-water. It possesses however 

 the property of absorbing and retaining oxygen; hence the surface- 

 water both of rivers and the ocean holds more oxygen than the atmos- 

 pheric air, to the amount even of 29 1 per cent. (Daubeuy, p. 6.) 

 This contributes both to the maintenance of the respiration of fishes 

 and growth of aquatic plants, which last are one source of the supply 

 of the oxygen. The abundant supply of water furnished by large 

 rivers offers a great temptation to procure thence the immense quantity 

 required for the use of the inhabitants of towns on their banks. This 

 may or may not be a wise proceeding, according to the nature of the 

 water. If hard, it can only be rendered fit for domestic purposes, 

 uch as cooking and washing, by chemical processes, or by long boil- 

 ing in appropriate boilers. When, in addition to its saline impregna- 

 tions, numerous adventitious ones, many of a disgusting aud most 

 revolting nature, are found, it is clear that such water is very unfit 

 for the use of man. This is unhappily the case with the Thames 

 water furnished to the inhabitants of London ; and although the plan 

 of diverting the sewage will get rid of a very objectionable quality in 

 the water, it will leave unaffected the causes of the hardness of the 

 water, which has a less obvious but still very serious influence on the 

 health and comfort of the inhabitants. This is clearly shown in the 

 evidence before the Commission on the Health of Towns, particularly 

 that of Professor Clark of Aberdeen, whose simple process, if adopted 

 by the various water companies, would remove almost every one of 

 the inconveniences; and while costing little, would be attended with 

 a vast laving of soap, soda, and labour, along with a diminution 

 in the .tear and wear of linen and everything required to be washed 

 in it. 



Lake- Water varies much in its composition. The main difference 

 depends on the lake possessing an outlet or being destitute of one. 

 The water of the former generally corresponds with that of the rivers 

 which flow into it ; but the flow becoming slower, there is more scope 

 for the development of animal and vegetable life, and for the decompo- 

 <f organic remains. Those destitute of au outlet are mostly 



HAT. HIST. DIV. VOL. IV. 



salt-water lakes, containing the same ingredients as the ocean, but in 

 a more concentrated state. (Daubeny, p. 6.) Some lakes abound in 

 tincal, such as the borax-lakes of Tibet. 



Marsh-Water is stagnant, and abounds in animal and vegetable 

 remains, either in a state of decomposition or passing into new com- 

 binations, generally of a low grade, as the lowest members of the 

 vegetable kingdom and those of each section of the animal are mostly 

 aquatic. These waters are for the most part unwholesome, as they 

 emit nephitic gases, and produce disease if used for drink. The amount 

 of unwholesome gases may be greatly diminished by substituting an 

 active vegetation for an effete one. If these be of a bitter and 

 astringent kind, such as bog-bean and tormentil, it greatly lessens the 

 tendency to disease in the cattle which drink them. Previous to 

 employing them as drinks for human beings, steeping different plants, 

 or rubbing the sides of the vessels with bitter seeds, render them, if 

 not quite pure, at least less noxious. Thus the tea-plant is used by 

 the natives of China and Japan, the Strychnos potatorum by those of 

 India, and the bitter almond by those on the banks of the Nile. 

 [STRYCHNOS.] 



Impure or putrid water may be rendered pure by filtering through 

 sand or charcoal, or by simply pouring it from one vessel to another 

 in the sun. 



The water of the ocean abounds in saline matters so much that 

 it is unfit for dietetical purposes. The quantity of salt is not uniform, 

 since the water of the Southern Ocean contains more salt than the 

 Northern, while the proportion present in the water at the equator 

 holds the middle place between the two. (Daubeny, p. 4.) Sea-water 

 may be rendered fit for drinking by pressure, filtration, and freezing, 

 or simply by boiling it, and condensing the steam as it arises. For an 

 account of the composition of sea-water see SODIUM, and of the uses 

 of water for alimentary purposes see FOOD. 



WATER-AVENS. [GEDM.] 



WATER-CALTROP. [TRAPA.] 



WATER-CHESTNUT. [TRAPA.] 



WATER-CRESS. [NASTURTIUM.] 



WATER-CROW, a name for the Water-Ouzel. [MERULID*:.] 



WATER-CROWFOOT. [RANUNCULUS.] 



WATER-FLEA. [DAPIINIA.] 



WATER-FLY. [GYHINID*:.! 



WATER-GUT. [ULVACE^.T 



WATEK-HEMLOCK. [CicuiA.] 



WATER-HEN. [RALI.ID&] 



WATER-LILY, the common name for the spcciea of the family 

 Nymphaacece. [NYMPH^ACE*.] One of the most beautiful and the 

 largest of the tribe is the Victoria Regia. This splendid plant, in the 

 dimensions of its leaves, their varied tints, the colour, size, aud fra- 

 grance of its flowers, may deservedly be called the queen of flowers. The 

 following is the account of its discovery by Sir Robert Schomburgk : 

 " It was on the 1st of January, while contending with the difficulties 

 nature opposed in different forms to our progress up the river Berbice, 

 that we arrived at a point where the river expanded and formed a 

 currentless basin. Some object on the southern extremity of thij 

 basin attracted my attention ; it was impossible to form any idea 

 what it could be, and, animating the crew to increase the rate of their 

 paddling, we were shortly afterwards opposite the object that had 

 raised my curiosity a vegetable wonder. All calamities were for- 

 gotten ; I felt as a botanist, and felt myself rewarded ; a gigantic 

 leaf, from five to six feet in diameter, salver- shaped, with a broad rim, 

 of a light green above and a vivid crimson below, resting on the water. 

 Quite in character with the wonderful leaf was the luxuriant flower, 

 consisting of many hundred petals, passing in alternate tints from 

 pure white to rose and pink. The smooth water was covered with 

 the blossoms, and as I rowed from one to the other I always observed 

 something new to admire." The leaves are very large, measuring five 

 or six. feet in diameter. They have an orbicular form, the upper sur- 

 face is bright green, and they are furnished with a rim round the 

 margin from 3 to 5 inches in height ; on the inside the rim has a 

 green colour, and on the outside, like the under surface of the leaf, it 

 is of a bright crimson ; they have prominent ribs, which project an 

 inch high, radiating from a common centre ; these are crossed by a 

 membrane, giving the whole the appearance of a spider's web ; the 

 whole leaf is beset with prickles, and when young is convolute. The 

 stock of the flower is an inch thick, and studded with prickles. The 

 calyx is 4-leaved, each eepal is 7 inches in length and 4 inches broad ; 

 th corolla covers the calyx with hundreds of petals ; when first 

 opened it is of a white colour, but subsequently changes to pink ; it 

 is very fragrant. Like all other water-lilies, its petals and stamens 

 pass into each other, a petal often being found surmounted with half 

 an anther. The seeds are numerous, and imbedded in a spongy sub- 

 stance. This plant has by some botanists bien placed in the genus 

 Euryale, whilst Lindley thinks it is nearer Nymphaa, from which it 

 differs in the sepals and petals being distinct, the papilla of the 

 stigma being prolonged into a horn, aud the changing colour of its 

 petals. 



This splendid plant has now been successfully cultivated in 

 many of the hot-houses of this country. Beautiful specimens are 

 to be seen in the Royal Gardens at Kew, and at the Crystal Palace, 

 Sydenham. 



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