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Bergman had at the first, accounted for the presence of silex, in 

 a state of solution, in such waters, to the natural solvent power of 

 simple water, aided by heat ; and this he thought, was alone suf- 

 ficient to account for this effect. Dr. Black, who made an analysis 

 of the waters at Rykum, which very nearly agreed with that of 

 Mr. Klaproth, thought that the alkali was the efficient cause of 

 this solution of silex in water, and that the heat was merely the 

 means of promoting it. But the quantity of pure soda con- 

 tained in these waters is so small, when compared to that of the 

 silex, as could not be sufficient to maintain the solution of the 

 latter. To obviate this difficulty, Dr. Black suggested, that the 

 silex had originally been united with a much larger portion of alkali ; 

 and that, after this solution had been completed, part of the alkali 

 might have become neutralized by acids, which had entered into 

 combination with the fluid. But, to effect the solution of the silex 

 by the means of the alkali, the alkali should exist in a pure, or 

 caustic state, of which not the least proof has been adduced ; be- 

 sides, as it is now rendered evident, that water alone possesses the 

 power of dissolving silex, it is entirely unnecessary to seek for the 

 aid of an alkali. The great degree of heat of these waters may, 

 however, be considered as promoting their solvent powers ; since, 

 according to the relation given by Uno Von Troil, in his account 

 of the Icelandic springs, the waters of the Geyser, thrown by this 

 immense jet of 19 feet in diameter, to the height of 90 feet, are 

 still found, when they fall to the ground, perfectly boiling hot. 

 As part of the heat must have been lost during the spouting, con- 

 sequently the water must have been some degrees hotter, in the 

 subterranean reservoirs. Thus, Mr. Klaproth observes, Nature here 

 affords us an instance, in the large way, of what Art performs in the 

 small, by Papin's digester; namely, of confined water, even while 

 in its unelastic, dense, liquid state, acquiring a degree of heat, 

 surpassing that of its boiling point. But, notwithstanding he ad- 



