Gray Sulphur Springs of Virginia. 103 



beak, this last portion was seen to descend perceptibly on removing 

 the thumb from the opening, farther showing that the water holds 

 gas in solution. 



4. A few ounces of the water were warmed in a flask over a 

 spirit lamp : bubbles of air immediately began to form at the bot- 

 tom, and to ascend to the surface where they broke with a slight 

 report after the manner of carbonic acid. 



5. The specific gravity of the water is 1.003. 



6. Its taste, when newly uncorked, is decidedly that of a weak 

 solution of hydro-sulphuric acid, modified by a cooling alcalino-sa- 

 line flavor ; and is far from being unpleasant. On being allowed to 

 stand for a kw minutes in an open vessel the hepatic taste disap- 

 pears. 



7. On being evaporated to three quarters its bulk, it afforded a 

 distinct precipitate, and as it approached a state of dryness, it emit- 

 ted the odor of extractive matter. The residuum was perfectly 

 white, without any signs of crystallization, even when examined 

 with a microscope, and remained exposed to the air for several days 

 without change of color or deliquescence. 



8. 3 1 .7 cubic inches of freshly opened water were transferred to 

 a glass flask, to which was fitted a recurved tube leading to a grad- 

 uated air-jar, over the mercurial cistern. Heat was applied, and 

 the water maintained at a boiling temperature for fifteen minutes, the 

 operation having been so conducted as to prevent the smallest quan- 

 tity of water from passing over into the jar. The process yielded 

 1.8 inches of gas; which is 5.67 for one hundred cubic inches of 

 the water, or 13.11 to the gallon. 



9. One part of this gas (8) on being poured into a solution of 

 lime produced a cloud, and another portion into a solution of acetate 

 of lead, afforded a brownish precipitate; from whence the existence 

 of carbonic and hydro-sulphuric acid in the water was demonstra- 

 ted. 



10. A portion of the gas (8) was treated with a solution of po- 

 tassa, whereby it was proved that a part of it was unabsorbable, but 

 the proportion remaining was not ascertained. And since oxygen 

 and hydro-sulphuric acid do not coexist in waters, it follows, that 

 the unabsorbed gas must have been nitrogen. 



The water was then subjected to the following examination, in 

 order to ascertain whether the principles successively enumerated, 

 enter into its composition. 



