512 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO I74I. 



pipes, in which the water is conveyed to the cistern ; h, a cistern of hot water; 

 I, I, two cog-wheels, to turn the disperser ; k, a steam-pipe, in which is con- 

 veyed the steam to the cylinder ; l, the cylinder of the fire-engine ; m, m, 

 leaden pipes, that convey hot water from the cistern to the disperser. 



j4n Examination of fVestashlon Well-waters, a Well about 4 Miles from that of 

 Holt. By Ambrose Godfrey Hanhewitz. N''46l, p. 828. 



Obs. 1. — Mr. G. H. took 4 oz. of the Westashton water, with as much milk, 

 and set them on the fire ; as soon as they boiled, the milk began to curdle, 

 which denotes a brackish salt of a neutral nature. The water changed syrup of 

 violets green. 



2. Some powder of galls infused in this water, gave it a tinge of a brown 

 purple ; by which it appeared that this water was chalybeate. 



3. A fixed alcali, as ol. tartar, per deliq. and a volatile one, as sp. sal. ammo- 

 niaci, caused a white precipitation ; which denotes an aluminous cretaceous earth. 



4. A solution of salt of lead, caused a cream-like, or a troubled milky 

 colour. 



5. The usual acid spirits, viz. spirit of salt, nitre, and vitriol, caused no 

 alteration ; which shows that the water is itself impregnated with an acid. 



6. The water, being evaporated to a pellicle, deposited saline crystals of a 

 rough or austere taste, being of a styptic nature ; and separated a martial yel- 

 lowish ochre, which was attracted by the loadstone, and was an absorbent, for 

 it fermented with acids. The remaining brine, being evaporated to dryness, 

 left a salt of a lixivious alcaline taste. 



7. Some of these salts being put into water, 3 parts out of 4 dissolved very 

 readily ; but -^-th part would not dissolve at all, but was of a talcky nature, and 

 unalterable in the fire. 



Hence he observes that chalybeate waters, as long as they retain their natural 

 sulphureous gas, are capable of keeping suspended, or floating in them, these 

 talcky substances ; but that boiling drives away that sulphureous gas, on which 

 this talcky substance subsides, and cannot again be dissolved in water, but re- 

 mains fixed against the power of the fire ; for it suffers no alteration on a red- 

 hot iron, neither emitting flame, nor melting, as neither does talc itself. 



8. These chalybeate-waters contain somewhat of the same nature as our 

 cathartic Epsom salt, only not so mild on the tongue ; for by this examen, 

 when their gas is gone, they are found to contain 1 sorts of such like earths ; 

 the one absorbent, fermenting with acids ; and the other fixed, or talcky : and 

 that this substance is really talcky, is confirmed by the digging up of much 

 talc in sinking this well. 



All the salts of the medical waters are more generally alcaline than acid, 



