HOW — ON BRINE SPRINGS OF NOVA SCOTIA. 77 



Orains. 



Carbonate of Lime ^ 14.73 



Carbonate of Magnesia (very small). undet. 



Carbonate of Iron traces. 



Phosphoric acid, decided traces. 



Chloride of Magnesium 4.48 



Sulphate of Lime 161.16 



Chloride of Sodium 787.11 



967.48 

 There is probably a small amount of chloride of potassium 

 ^contained in the common salt, and it is quite possible also that 

 there are traces of other constituents, which were not sought for in 

 the small quantity of water at my command. A very interesting 

 feature in this brine, illustrating the differences which obtain 

 between the composition of waters as they issue from the earth, and 

 that of the ocean which exhibits the results of numerous chemical 

 changes, is the very large quantity of sulphate of lime present 

 along with the salt, which, however, is still by so much the princi- 

 pal ingredient that the water is a true brine. In sea water, accord- 

 ing to the elaborate researches of Forchhammer, extending to 

 several hundreds of analyses,* the maximum ratio of chlorine to 

 sulphuric acid and to lime in the open ocean, is — 



100 chlorine to 12.09 sulphuric acid, and 

 100 chlorine to 3.16 lime; 



in the Walton brine we have 



100 chlorine to 19.7 sulphuric acid, and 

 100 chlorine to 15.4 lime. 



This water in fact contains almost exactly as much sulphate of lime 



(161 grains) as pure water Avould dissolve (viz., 163 grains) if 



saturated. Since some of the waters of the Province, viz., those of 



Wilmot and Spa Spring, Windsor, to which curative properties are 



attributed, contain this substance as by far the most abundant 



ingredient, experience may yet show the Walton brine to be also 



valuable to invalids, although sulphate of lime has not, I believe, as 



yet been recognized as a useful medicinal agent. t 



Brine Spring, Salt Springs, Pictou Co. For a quantity of water 



from this spring I am indebted to the Rev. A. McKay, who occu- 



* Proceedings of the Royal Society, C. News, x, 293. 



t Mr. Stephens informs me that on the other side of a ridge of land I'ising just 

 above the Walton Spring just described, at a distance of two miles and a half, and on 

 the descent of the ridge, a second brine spring is said to exist. 



