Artificial Preparation of Medicinal Waters. 131 
It would be superfluous to attempt to describe here the present meth- 
od of impregnating water with carbonic acid gas; the principle upon 
which it is practiced, is the basis upon which depends the artificial 
production or imitation of cold medicinal waters: water saturated 
with this gas alone has, for a long time, become a favorite, and even a 
salutary beverage in the summer months, but when sub-carbonate of 
soda is added to the water, it imparts to it peculiar medicinal quali- 
ties, and is the article which is now familiarly known as soda water, 
prepared for general use in all the large cities. No general method 
for preparing an artificial mineral water is superior to this ; it is only 
necessary to add, in proper proportions, these substances which pecu- 
liarly characterize any particular mineral spring, and by impregnating 
the water with carbonic acid, the imitation is complete. On the same 
principle may sulphureous waters, such as the Harrowgate, be pre- 
pared by adding to common water the necessary quantity of those 
which are found in it, and then saturating it with sulphuretted hydro- 
gen gas. 
Having now shown the facility with which artificial medicinal 
waters may be prepared, resembling the natural waters not only in 
taste but in medicinal qualities ; it must still be acknowledged, that 
many of the same objections which have been stated with respect to 
the natural waters, exist with respect to the use of the artificial at any 
distance from the place where they are prepared; such is the diffi- 
culty of preserving them in bottles for any length of time without 
materially injuring their medicinal qualities by the escape of the gas 
which imparts one of their essential properties; there is a serious risk 
and difficulty in transporting these bottles to foreign countries, and 
more particularly to warm climates, where they are often peculiarly 
valuable, and where they cannot be procured without great incon- 
venience and expense. ‘To substitute another method of making an 
artificial preparation which would not be liable to those objections 
became a great desideratum. 
(To be continued.) 
