Mintrtl 

 Water*- 



MINERAL WATERS. 881 



The following Table shcxt the component par It of a Gallon of the principal Mineral Waters. 



Minert 

 Waters. 



Of the Chemical Analyrii of Mineral Walen. 



Of the che- In the w>alyi of mineral waters the first object is 

 m i nt . to ascertain tlie different substance* which they contain ; 

 ljfi> of the nest i, to find out the quantity of each ingredient ; 

 mineral a nd, l.i-tly, to ascertain in what state of combination 

 water*. these sulwtance* exist, and what are the proportions 

 of the different compounds which they form. 



Of the Method of detecting the different Subttancet 

 contained itt Mineral 'H'atert. 



Ofiheme- The substance* employed in detecting the ingre- 

 itud of d- dients of mineral waters, are called Tettt. By the ad. 

 teeting the dition of these to the waters, different appearance* are 

 different produced, by which we are enabled to judge of the 

 balance* preience of those bodies which they contain. The 



"!. tests required must be very delicate, as the quanti: 

 waul" matter to be indicated, is often very small. In many 

 cases, it is necessary to evaporate the fluid to a certain 

 extent, before some of the substance* which arc promt 

 can be detected. 



34. Carbonic acid, in its free state, is easily detected. 

 Water, when it contains this acid, sparkle* when pour- 

 ed from one vessel to another. When it is added loan 

 infusion of litmus, the blue is converted to red, and on 

 boiling the fluid, or by exposing it for some time to the 

 air, the original blue- is restored. If the water be boil- 

 ed, and then added to the litmus, no change in the co- 

 lour take* place. 



Water containing carbonic acid gives a white preci- 

 pitate when added to lime water, which i* solub! 

 nitric and muriatic acids. When also an excess of 

 carbonic acid water is added to the precipitate formed 

 with lime water, the precipitate is dissolved, and by 

 boiling the fluid, the superabundant carbonic acid H 

 expelled, and the carbonate of lime i* again deposited. 



35. Sulphuretted hydrogen. Water containing this 



acid reddens litmus and when the fluid is exposed to 

 the air for some time, or is boiled, the blue is restored. 

 In this respect it resembles carbonic ncid. and may 

 therefore be mistaken for it. There is, however, little 

 danger of this, a* sulphuretted hydrogen is easily dN- 

 tfagvnbed by other tests. Sulphuretted hydrogen is 

 known by the odour which it emits. When water con- 

 taining it is added to a solution of a salt of lead, as the 

 acetate it throws down a black precipitate. A piece of 

 silver when immersed in it acquires a dark colour. 



36. To ascertain t 1 : 'ui.K 

 besides carbonic acid and sulphuretted ludr. ;,'cn. 



tort mu*t IK* filled, about two-thirds with the water, and 

 the mouth of it made to terminate under a jar, rilled 

 with mercury and inverted in the mercurial trough. 

 The water is then to be boiled, fora quarter of an hour, 

 lich the paseous fluid* will pass over into the jar. 

 The el.i-itic fluids which are piven off, may lie common 

 air, oxygen, nitrogen, carbonic acid, sulphuretted hy- 

 drogen, iiml sulphurous ncid j the two fast, however, 

 never exist in the same water. 



37. If mlnlmretted hydrogen be present, it must be re- 

 moved by the addition of nitric acid to the water, which 

 will absorb the elastic fluid. 



38. If the gaseous fluid contain tulphnrous acid, on 

 the introduction of the peroxide of lead its volume will 

 be diminished. 



39. The presence of carbonic acid may be known by 

 admitting a solution of potassa, which will nl>?orh it. 



40. Oxygen may be discovered, by exposing the rc>.j. 

 dual air to the action of the solution of Milphnr 

 hydro-sulphuret of pota*M or of lime, which will absorb 

 the oxygen; if what remains extinguish the flame of a 

 candle it is nitrogen. 



41. Thejredacidi rarely exist in their free state in 

 mineral waters. If they do, the water gives a red co- 

 lour to litmus, which does not di.- appear on boiling the 

 fluid. 



An.l carbonate of wda. f And (ulphatc of I 



Tail ii giren by Dr. Murray, according M UK mode of aaalym ~~-""-r~ by him, to be aAerwanU ilated. 



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