KENTUCKY SPRINGS. 171 



lime, magnesia, soda, iron, with sulphuretted hydrogen and 

 iodide of sodium. Owen suggests that this " is a very valuable 

 mineral water, from the fact that it contains iodine." The 

 fifth is described as a good alkaline sulphur water, containing 

 also the ordinary salts of the waters of this region. 



At BLUE LICKS, Drake reports that there are several 

 springs, all saline sulphur. They are on the Licking River, 

 twenty-four miles from the Ohio. Salt was formerly made 

 from these waters, but being weak, they were abandoned. 



In the Third Geological Report of this State, already 

 quoted, Mr. Owen has an extended and valuable account of 

 the "Lower Blue Lick Spring," Nicholas County. From a 

 minute examination of the spring, it is discovered to have a 

 temperature of 62 F., or seven degrees above the mean 

 temperature of the region. A quantitative analysis has 

 been made of this water by Mr. Owen, which is found to 

 contain sulphuretted hydrogen and carbonic acid gases, car- 

 bonate of lime and magnesia, alumina, phosphate of lime 

 and oxide of iro,n, chloride of sodium, magnesium, and potas- 

 sium, bromide of magnesium, iodide of magnesium, sul- 

 phate of lime and potash, silicic acid, oxide of manganese, 

 crenic and apocrenic acids. He enumerates a long list of 

 diseases, "as chronic disorders of liver, dyspepsia, chronic 

 cutaneous diseases, rheumatism, gout, scrofulous affections, 

 and also speaks of the water as a nervous stimulant, dia- 

 phoretic, and diuretic." The value of this water, as highly 

 medicinal, is insisted upon by Mr. Owen. (See Third Geo- 

 logical Report, from page 361 to page 368.) 



According to Peter, LOWER BLUE LICK SPRING is a sa- 

 line sulphur. "It emerges from the Great Blue Limestone 

 Formation of the West, a formation of great extent, com- 

 posed of limestone layers of greater or less thickness, hardness, 

 and purity, with beds of bluish, marly clay, presenting some- 

 times a shaly structure ; all rich in the fossil remains of the 

 inhabitants of the deep, primeval ocean, under which they 

 were evidently deposited." The Spring of the Big Bone 

 Lick is in this formation, and exhibits the same general 



