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Dr. Tenney's Account of Several Medicinal Spings. 43 



IL An Account of a Niimhcr of 3fedicinal Springs at Saratoga, 



in the State of Neimjorh, hg Dr. SAMUEL TENNEY; 



Dear Sm 



Saratoga, September \, 1783 



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OU may probably recollect^ that the last time I had the 

 pleasure of seeing you^ I mentioned some mineral 

 springs^ in the vicinity of this place, which I had not then 

 seen. I joined the regiment soon after, and took the first 

 opportunity to visit them j and, I assure you, I never had 

 less reason to repent of any pains taken to gratify my curi- 

 osity in my life. They are such a production of nature as 

 is calculated, not only to attract the notice, and excite the 

 admiration of the illiterate ; but to engage the attention of 

 the physician, the chemist, and the philosopher. 



They were unknown (except to the Mohawks, in whose 

 country they are found) 'till about thirteen years ago ; at 

 which time they were discovered by some surveyors. The 

 land, for several miles round them, is a wilderness. They 

 have been considerably frequented by the poorer sort of 

 people, ever since their discovery; but for want of proper 

 medical directions, and necessary accommodations, their use- 

 fulness has been hitherto much confined. I think they 

 want only a suitable introduction to the world, and some 

 convenient houses for boarding and lodging patients, to ren- 

 der them, under the advice of judicious physicians, of very 

 important service to the country. Whether my expecta- 

 tions are too sanguine, time will discover. In the interim, for 

 your satisfiction, I will first give a description of the wells 



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