122 Prof. H.D. Smith, on the Warm-Springs 



mediately extinguished. From these two experiments it 

 was inferred that this air was nitrogen or azotic gas. From 

 the whole of the humid analysis the chemical reader will 

 probably admit, that these waters contain, not only nitrogen 

 gas, but sulphuric and muriatic acids, and lime and magnesia, 

 all in a state of combination ; and that neither carbonic 

 acid nor sulphuretted hydrogen, or any combination of sul- 

 phur, as had been generally believed, were present. That 

 sulphur is never recognized, as an ingredient of these waters, 

 and that very wet seasons may not cause some combination 

 of it, I am not prepared to deny ; because in addition to 

 the remark of the peculiar odour of the water in wet sea- 

 sons, it may be stated that in two successive years, previous 

 to ray visit, I had the opportunity of examining the water 

 brought in bottles to this place, and then detected sulphu- 

 retted hydrogen. Supposing it possible however, that 

 the keeping of the water for several weeks, might induce a 

 change of its properties, I brought away two bottles with me 

 and six5months afterwards examined them in my laborato- 

 ry, but found the results of analysis to be the same as at 

 the springs. I know not how to account for this variation 

 of properties, unless on the former occasions the springs 

 may have been little attended to, and from the decomposi- 

 tion of vegetable matter in them sulphuretted hydrogen may 

 have been generated ; or unless the causes, which occa- 

 sion the increased temperature of the water, may so vary 

 in differing seasons as to produce different decompositions 

 beneath the earth's surface. 



It was my intention to have proceeded with the examina- 

 tion of the fixed product, as soon as I returned to Colum- 

 bia ; but some unexpected and unavoidable circumstances 

 have prevented until lately. 



The results of this analysis are as follow : 



1. On examining the papers, containing three powders, 

 each of which had been procured by the separate evapora- 

 tion of one quart of the mineral water, it appeared that each 

 paper was damp, and stained of a light fawn colour. In 

 two parcels, brilliant particles were visible to the naked eye ; 

 and, viewed through the microscope, they were evidently 

 sahne. The other powder shewed no marks of crystalliza- 

 tion. The weight of the whole was twenty-eight grains, and 

 allowing for loss in transportation, perhaps it may be said 



