VOL. LI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 4^5 



Does not this, with the discovery of lava, pumice-stones, iron in a perfect state, 

 and many other traces of fire observed in most of the mountains, particularly in 

 all the great chains, and remarkably in all those under the equator, which are 

 the highest on the globe, seem to indicate, that the dry land, with all its 

 eminencies, was originally raised out of the waters, by the force of subterra- 

 neous fire ? 



LXXllI. On the Hot Baths of Finadio, in the Province of Coni in Piedmont. 

 By Dr. Joseph Bruni, F. R. S. p. 889. 



The warm baths, which have been so serviceable to the Chevalier Ossorio, run 

 through the rocks, near the village Vinadio, in the province of Coni. The 

 water is ver)^ clear, and so warm, one cannot bear the hand in it : the contents 

 are sulphur diffused through it, and some salt almost like common salt. By eva- 

 poration, you get 5, sometimes 6 gr. from 1 lb. of water. Dr. B. sent a small 

 quantity of the salt, gathered from the stones by which the water runs, before 

 the rising of the sun, for in the day-time it is not found upon them, except in 

 winter. Where these waters run, they deposit oily particles, which by degrees 

 join together, and form a soft, spongeous, greenish-yellow substance, an inch 

 almost in thickness, which is called muffa: this, when dry, is wrinkled, takes 

 fire, crackles, and gives the smell of brimstone, and when entirely burnt, leaves 

 a black ash behind. A piece of silver immersed in these waters in a few minutes 

 became black. Their taste is neither salt nor acid, but disagreeable. The mufia 

 left for 2 days in common water, swells 6 times thicker than it was, stinks, and 

 throws up oily particles on the surface of the water. The salt does not ferment 

 with acids. If you dissolve it in common water, and mix it with syrup of violets, 

 it gives some appearance of a green colour: the same water poured on a solution 

 of silver, it soon throws down a white sediment. Some say these waters contain 

 nitre, and particles of other bodies; but this has not been demonstrated. 



The disorder of the Chevalier Ossorio was, that he had lost the feeling of 

 his fingers, had a weakness in his hands and legs, so that sometimes he could 

 not walk in a straight line, but tottered from side to side. He could not extend 

 his toes, and the soles of his feet seemed as if hard strings were drawn across 

 them. He tried many medicines to no purpose: but is now perfectly free from 

 the above complaints by the use of these warm baths. He bathed in the waters 

 40 times, when the stomach was empty, in a morning; and staid in them at first 

 4- an hour, but lengthened the time gradually at last to a full hour. After each 

 bathing he was dried with cloths, and put into a warm bed, where a plentiful 

 sweat came on for about -i- an hour ; during which, the pulse beat like that in a 

 high fever, but became quieter as the sweating abated. When the sweating was 

 almost over, and the pulse quite regular, he was dried again with cloths, his 



