78 HOW ON BRINE SPRINGS OF NOVA SCOTIA. 



pies the Manse at the locality, and who kindly furnished me with 

 the following information : — 



" Last spring there was a great freshet, and the river made its way 

 into the principal spring. I waited, expecting to have the river turned 

 into its wonted channel, but being from home on a mission to Cape 

 Breton at the time the river was lowest I did not succeed. There has 

 been a hole dug in the end (?) of a low bank about nine yards from this 

 main spring, by a company, about twenty years ago, who made salt from 

 the water which came up there. This hole is ten or twelve feet deep. 

 The water does not overflow here. From this spring I took the water 

 sent to you. I also sent a piece of the rock jutting out between this 

 hole and the main spring. There are several small springs about this 

 low bank, over the length of about 150 yards. The salt water oozes out 

 in many places along this course, and salt is deposited in some places. 



" The water is used for rheumatism, and in so far as used 1 believe 

 it has proved an effective cure. It is applied externally." 



On examining the water, I found that there was a very large 

 quantity of salt present, along with much sulphate of lime. When 

 received (September 9th) the water was without odour, but on stand- 

 ing for some time it smelt strongly of sulphuretted hydrogen, 

 from the reduction of the sulphate by organic matter. Under these 

 circumstances, in order to obviate considerable error, the principal 

 ingredients were estimated at short intervals, but of course, since 

 an accurate analysis could not be made of a liquid constantly 

 changing, I can only offer the following results as exhibiting the 

 approximate composition of the brine. An imperial gallon con- 

 tained — 



Grains. 



Carbonate of Lime 3.775 



Carbonate of Magnesia 2.932 



Carbonate of Iron 181 



Silica 560 



Sulphate of Lime 154.730 



Chloride of Magnesium 27.330 



Chloride of Calcium 51.910 



Chloride of Sodium 4133.500 



Phosphoric Acid, 1 



Boracic Acid, ■, ^ • ■, 



Tj • y undetermmed. 



Bromme, j 



Organic matter, j 



4374.918 



Specific Gravity at 53° Fah 1046.69 



There was probably a small amount of chloride of potassium 

 contained in the common salt. With regard to the bromine, the 



