120 TRANSACTIONS ON THE 



Good Soda "Water is known by its agreeable pungent taste, by its slightly ex- 

 hilarating qualities, and by its bubbling and scintillation. These properties are 

 strikingly exhibited at a low temperature. It should leave no unpleasant taste, 

 and should be entirely innocuous. 



How IS IT MADE? — The water to be impregnated with the gas is placed in a 

 strong vessel, usually made of iron or copper, called a fountain. The water should 

 not occupy more than two-thirds the contents, as space enough must be left for 

 sufficient gas to discharge all the water with a good pressure. 



The gas used exists naturally in many substances: but, in great purity, in mar- 

 ble, which consists of nearly equal parts of lime and this gas in a solid state. 



Sulphuric acid, having greater affinity for lime than the carbonic acid, instantly 

 combines with the lime and the carbonic acid is liberated and copiouKly given off. 



This gas may be forced by an air-pump into the fountain. 



Or, if the gas is generated in a tight and strong vessel, a great pressure naturally 

 results. The gas, after being passed through water to purify it, may be conducted 

 to the fountain; and after sufficient agibition in contact with the gas at a high 

 pressure, the water becomes impregnated, and is then what is known as aoda 

 water. 



In a commercial point of view it is important that the apparatus used to gene- 

 rate the gas should be so constructed that materials easily accessible and cheap 

 may be us€?d, It is for want of this consideration that the feilure of .so many ma- 

 chines using carbonate of .soda and other expensive chemicals may be attributed 

 as, although the apparatus may be bought at a low cost, it can never compete with 

 the more perfect machines which are equally well adapted to all materials. 



HISTORY OF AERATED WATERS. 



The first experiment.s were made by Vend, in France, in 1750, and published ira 

 1775; by Priestly, 1768; later by Bergmann, Black, Van Helmont and. others. 

 In 1780, appeared the work of Dr. Duchanoy, at Paris, "Essays on the art of 

 imitating mineral waters." The first manufactory in the world was established 

 at Geneva by an apothecary of that city, named Gosse, whose annual sales 

 amounted to 40,000 Iwttles " Eau de Seltz." In 1798, his partner, Mr. Paul, 

 founded an establishment in Paris, where were compounded not only the principal 

 mineral waters of France, but even those of foreign countries. From this time 

 onward, laboratories multiplied all orer Europe,* and the manufacture of simple 

 aerated water is now carried on, on so large a scale, in all civilized countries, that 

 a very remarkable amount of inventive talent has been successfiiHy employed in 

 improving the necessary apparatus, until it may be said that there is nothing more 

 left to desire. 



From accurate observations made hi the principal capitals of Europe, it is com- 

 puted that the quantity of aeratetl water consumed as a beverage in the United 

 States, greatly exceeds that in all Europe. It was demonstrated five years ago, 

 that the occasional amount drank in New York, dtiring the warm weatJPiser, wa» 

 more than one million of bottles per day, independent of the draught consimiption. 



[^ Silver Medal having been before awarded, Diploma. 



*Thc more important medicinnT mineral waters are also manufactured on a large sc^le by 

 Dr. Hanbury Smith, at his well-known '*Spa»" in New Ywk and Cincinnati^ 



