MINERAL SPRINGS OF NEW YORK. 141 



MINERAL SPRINGS OF NEW YORK. 



THAT same " Empire State," ambitious to be EMPIRE IN ALL 

 THINGS, has certainly distinguished herself by her attention 

 to her mineral springs, and by the invitation she has so long 

 extended to the world to appreciate and enjoy the same. 

 She is plentifully supplied with different kinds of mineral 

 waters. Some of the mineral springs of New York are more 

 celebrated than any others in the United States, and rival 

 the far-famed springs of Europe. They are considered to 

 possess more medicinal properties, and more rare and distin- 

 guished endowments in the sphere of sanitary attractions, 

 than any other springs in this country. The names of SARA- 

 TOGA and BALLSTON alone suggest not only the memory of 

 gunpowder, or sulphur, and victory, but of health, fashion, 

 and splendor. 



The mineral springs of New York belong, as the list will 

 show, to a number, or indeed all of the classes of waters, 

 namely, carbonated, saline, sulphureous, and chalybeate. 

 The geological position of the gaseous springs, the most 

 celebrated of which are the Saratoga and Ballston range, 

 according to Professor Mather, is in the transition of the 

 Trenton limestone and superimposed slate, or Formations 2 

 and 3 of Pennsylvania. He also suggests, that the " source 

 of the mineral qualities may be deeper than the junction of 

 the Trenton limestone and slate, and even as far down in the 

 series as the Calciferous Sandstone." (No. 1 of Pennsylvania.) 



The waters of the Saratoga group are carbonated saline. 

 This class of waters is very numerous in a certain part of the 

 State, restricted, it is alleged, however, by the geologists of 

 N ew York, to a particular line of disturbance and faults of 

 the geological formations, all of which possess the same 

 general character of water, or at least a strong resemblance. 

 The springs at Saratoga form the centre of this range. 



