THE MINERAL SPRINGS OF CANADA. 



1853. 



giMins arsenic, one-fourth oxide of tin, one-sixth oxide of autimonj". 

 one-fourth oxitle of lead, and one grain oxide of copper. 



Walchner and Daubree ha\e examined tlie deposits from various 

 springs, and moreover, a large number of rocks and soils, and 

 have arrived at the extraordinary conclusion, that in almost all, 

 there are contained traces of the above naentioned substances, 

 more especially ai-senic. This metal is therefore not onl}- uni- 

 vei'sally dift'used throughout the whole world, but from the fact 

 of its existence in meteoric stones, we must conclude that it is 

 still more universal, and that it enters into the material composi- 

 tion of other planets than our earth. 



To this list silver has been added, for that body is found to 

 exist in minute qu-ontity in sea water, in some springs, in plants, 

 and even in animals, and very lately M. Mazade of Valance lias 

 announced that in the water of Neyrac, he has discovered the 

 following substances : Titanium, Molybdenum, Tin, Tungsten, 

 Tantalium, Cerium Yttrium, Glucinium, Zirconium, Nickel and 

 Cobalt. 



When we consider the manner in which mineral springs are 

 formed, and the immense extent of strata through which they 

 have to pass in their coui'se to the surface, we shall not be so 

 much astonished at their containing traces of those numerous 

 substances, which all recent researches seem to prove to be more 

 generally distributed through the crust of the globe, than was 

 formeily supposed. 



Attempts have been made of late 3-eai's to connect mineral 

 springs with the geological strata out of which they arise, and 

 thus, from the nature of the spring, to draw conclusions as to 

 the peculiar formation out of which the water flows, and the 

 ditferent deposits through which it has passed before reaching 

 the suiface : owing to the great difficulty, if not impossibility of 

 of tracing the coui-se of water while trickling through the earth, 

 concealed from our \iew, many erroneous conclusions may readily 

 and naturally be arrived at, but still, certain general laws have 

 been ascertained, to which I shall hereafter allude. 



It has been well remarked by the President, in his opening 

 address, that there exist natural obstacles to the successful prose- 

 cution of certain branches of natural science in this part of the 

 pro\ince, viz. : the absence of mountain ranges, and the uniformity 

 of the suiface, and geological formations. The same causes, to a 

 certain extent, produce a want of \'aiiety and interest in the 

 mineral springs, for while we find that strong saline, and in 

 many cases useful medicinal springs exist in great numbers in the 

 upper strata, and veiy curious and interesting waters arise from 

 the primitive rocks, the Silurian system is not by any means so 

 rich iu these natural productions as the Oolite and and the 

 Grauite. We have many springs it is true, but with few excep- 

 tions, they contain little else than salt, and belong almost 

 universally to the class called saline watere. The few chalybeate 

 wateis that exist in Canada, are mostly so feeble, as scarcely to 

 deserve notice. 



Not only in their chemical characteristics do our springs belong 

 to the more ordinary class, but e\'en in their thermic relations no 

 great eccentricities are to be observed. I am not aware of any 

 spring either in U]iper or Lower Canada, possessing an extra- 

 ordinaril)' high temperature. 



The heat of spring water may seem at fii-st sight to be a 

 matter of but little importance, but it is in reality, one of con- 

 siderable interest, when we consider it in relation to the internal 

 temperature of the earth. It lias been found that the liottest 

 springs are those which arise from the gi-eatest depth, and we 

 are thus enabled to draw conclusions as to the stratum from 

 which the water is derived, from the temperature which it 



If therefore, we find, that springs from great depths have 

 letained the same temperature for ages, it is fair to conclude, 

 that their originating strata have also remained the same, in 

 other words, that the earth has neither lost nor gained in caloric. 



Although some few observations have shown that the 

 temperature of certain springs have been subject to change, the 

 greater number of reliable experiments prove the heat to liave 

 remained unaltered. A number of springs in the Eastern 

 Pyrenees have retained the same temperatm-e for 65 years, the 

 water of Carlsbad is just as hot now as it was 80 years since. The 

 water of i'ount D'Or which was used for bathing without 

 cooling, at the time of Julius Cfesar, now possesses exactly the 

 highest tein])erature that can conveniently be borne by the 

 human body ; and hence, unless we conceive that the Romans 

 were endowed with as thick and insensible a skin as the Turk, 

 whose Marmont saw bathing in water of 92 ° or the juggler 

 whom a recent traveller describes as lying in an oven in which 

 tallow melted, and a fowl was cooked by his side, we must 

 necessarily conclude, that the temperature of the water has 

 remained unaltered. 



With regard to the characters of mineral watere as depend- 

 ing upon the formation from which they arise; the following 

 laws have been laid down : 



The mineral watei-s of the primitive formation are almost all 

 thermal, possessing a high temperature. Their predominant 

 impregnation is sulphuretted hydrogen and carbonic acid, car- 

 bonate of soda, and other soda salts, few calcareous salts, except 

 carbonate of lime in some peculiar situations, and but a small 

 quantity of iron. 



The waters of the transition, and older secondary rocks, 

 assimilate to those of the primitive formation, but the tempera- 

 ture is considerably lower in most cases, free carbonic is 

 much less common and sulphuretted hydrogen generally absent, 

 salts of soda still predominate, but the carbonate is less frequent, 

 and sulphate of lime more general. 



The waters of the newer secondary and tertiary formations, 

 are as distinctly characterized as those of the primitive rocks, 

 placed at the other extremity of the series. They are all cold. 

 Free carbonic acid in large quantities, is almost entirely absent, 

 the predominating ingredients being carbonate and sulphate of 

 lime, magnesia and oxide of iron. 



Owing to local causes, many exceptions to these rules may be 

 observed, and although in a district of uniform geologic character, 

 it generally happens that the springs are of the same nature, it is 

 occasionally found that watei's of very different constitutions, 

 arise within a very limited space. 



In speaking on this subject, I cannot perhaps do better than 

 quote Hugh Miller's obser^•ations on the celebrated Springs of 

 Cheltenham. These springs all take their rise in the Lias, a 

 formation which abounds in sulphuret of iron, lime, magnesia, 

 lignite and various bituminous matters. The water which sup- 

 plies the spring has its origin at a greater depth, viz., in the 

 Upper New Red Sandstone, in which it becomes impregnated 

 with salt, and then entering the lias dissohes up many of the 

 ingredients abo\e mentioned. Thus, the Chelteuham water 

 probably falls on the Worcester Hills, buries itself in the soft 

 folds of the Upper New Red, passes along the rock salt strata and 

 entere a Liasic bed of bituminous shale, then into dolomitic lime- 

 stone and afterwards through beds of belemnites, fish lignite, 

 bitumen and other organic remains. Here, as Miller facetiously 

 observes, it carries ;ilong a dilute infusion of what had once been 

 the muscular tissue of a crocodile, and here the strainings of the 

 bones of an icpthyosaurus. Miller alludes to the pccuHar smell 

 of the springs of Straihpeffer arising from the Old Red Sandstone, 



