184 SPRINGS, RIVERS, CANALS, LAKES, 



been made in which they have been well distinguished from calca- 

 reous nmriat. 



Sulphureous Waters. The name of sulphureous waters has 

 been given to such mineral waters as appear to possess some of the 

 properties of sulphur ; such as the smell, and the property of dis- 

 colouring silver. Chemists have long been ignorant of the true mi- 

 neralizer of these waters ; most have supposed it to be sulphur, but 

 they never succeeded in exhibiting it, or at least have found it in 

 quantities scarcely perceptible. Those who have made experiments 

 on some of these waters have allowed them to contain either sul- 

 phureous spirit, or an alkaline sulphur. Venel and Monuet are the 

 first who opposed this opinion; the latter, in particular, nearly dis- 

 covered the truth, when he considered sulphureous waters as im. 

 pregnated merely by the vapour of liver of sulphur. Rouelle the 

 younger likewise affirmed, that these fluids might be imitated by 

 agitating water in contract with air, disengaged from an alkaline 

 sulphure by an acid. Bergman carried this doctrine much farther, 

 by examining the properties of sulphurated hydrogen gas, he has 

 proved that this gas mineralizes sulphureous waters, which he there- 

 fore called hepatic, waters, and has directed methods of ascer- 

 taining the presence of sulphur. Notwithstanding these discoveries, 

 Puchanoy, speaking of sulphureous waters, admits of sulphur, 

 sometimes alkaline, sometimes calcareous, or aluminous. He fol- 

 lows the opinion of Le Roy of Montpillier, who proposed a sul- 

 phure with base of magnesia in imitating tlie.se waters. It appears 

 in fact to be true, that there are waters which contain a small 

 quantity of sulphur, while there are others which are mineralized 

 only by sulphurated hydrogen gas. In this case it will be necessary 

 to distinguish sulphureous waters into two orders : 1. Those which 

 contain a small quantity of alkaline or calcareous sulphur ; and, 2. 

 Those which are only impregnated with sulphuric hydrogen gas. 

 The waters of Bareges and Cauterets, and the Bonnes waters, ap- 

 pear to belong to this first order; and those of St. Anvant, Aix hi 

 Chapelle, and Montmornicy, appear to belong to the second. 

 Most of these waters are thermal, but that of Montmorency is 

 cold. 



Ferruginous Waters. Iron being the most abundant of me- 

 tals, and the most susceptible of alteration, it is not to be wondered 

 #t that water easily becomes charged with it, and consequently thut 

 the ferruginous waters arc the most abundant and most common 



