1799, 800] MINERAL WATERS— ANALYSIS. 363 



and wells arc less frequent in this S. E. portion of the State, than in almost any 

 other. A mineral spring, pretty strongly charged with Bicarbone of Iron, with 

 some Chlorides of Sodium and Magnesium, and a trace of Sulphates, occurs 

 about 3 miles X. E. of Vernal P. 0., Greene county ; and near Oross Roads P. 0., 

 Jackson county, similar springs are said to exist. — On some of the ridges near 

 Raleigh, saline waters have been ohtained (1T2J7), but at the place itself, wells 

 25 to 30 feet deep, find freestone water.— At Westville, wells 35 to 50 feet, in 

 Orange Sand and colored clays; freestone water. At the saw-mill near town 

 there is a mineral spring, containing Bicarbonate of Iron and a little Sulphuretted 

 Hydrogen ; also a little Chloride of Magnesium and Sodium. — At Mt. Carmel, 

 Covington county, wells 40 to 80 feet deep, according to position ; freestone 

 water, shed by red or pipe clays (^70). 



799. On Pearl River, however, as well as on many of its confluents, mineral 

 waters are very abundant, from Jackson to Columbia. Marion county. The 

 inconvenient abundance of mineral waters in the Brandon neighborhood has 

 already been mentioned. They are chiefly of two kinds : 1st. Saline purgative 

 waters, containing a large amount of Epsom Salt and Qypsum, with more or 

 less Glauber Salt (Sulphate of Soda) and Common Salt, and Salphate of Potash. 

 Such are the waters of Mr. John R. Jackson (35 feet deep), Mr. Langford, and 

 Judge Wm. H. Clarke (45 feet deep). The waters of Mr. Jourdan A. Jackson's 

 well differ from these chiefly in containing some Bicarbonate of Soda, and a 

 larger amount of Chlorides — probably in the form of Common Salt and Chloride 

 of Magnesium. 



All these waters are entirely too strong for daily use, although possessing 

 valuable medical properties ; and the same is true of most of the mineral waters 

 found in wells W. of the meridian of Cato, in S. Rankin county, which arc 

 generally of a similar character. 



800. The other class, which is on the whole much less common, is that of 

 the Acid Alum waters. Of these, one already well known is that of Mr. 

 Baugh's Well, in the S. part of the town of Brandon. The well is 27 feet 

 deep, and the basin is in dark colored clays containing Gypsum and crust of 

 Yellow Iron Ore. The water is a very strong one, so that the precipitation of 

 the alumina turns the water thick ; it possesses a bituminous, but not a 

 sulphureous ordor. A qualitative analysis gave the following result : 



Sulphate of Alumina ("Alum"), largely, 



" " Lime (Gypsum), largely — a saturated solution, 



" Potash, 



Chlorides of Sodium and Magnesium, 



Silica, dissolved in, 



Free Carbonic Acid. 



Iron, a small amount. 



The water of Mr. Holland's well, on S. 35, T. 6, R. 3 E., differs from this 

 essentially in containing somewhat less of the Sulphate of Alumina, less 

 Magnesia, but more Soda, and Potash, and Chlorine. 



A very remarkable water of this class has been quite lately brought to my 

 notice ; it occurs in a well 11% feet deep, at Col. Danl. Allen's place, S. 2, T. 

 4, R. 4 E., Rankin county — on the dividing ridge between Steen's and Richland 

 Creek. It is not only powerfully astringent, but so acid with Sulphuric Acid, 

 as to set the teeth on edge almost immediately. The result of the qualitative 

 aLalysis might be thus stated : 



Sulphate of Alumina (" Alum "), very largely, 

 " " Lime (Gypsum), 



Bisulphates of Soda and Potash, largely, 



Chlorides of Calcium and Magnesium, largely. 



Great caution will be necessary in the use of this water, whose strength is 

 equal to that of any mixture which a physician would be likely to prescribe to 

 a patient. It is almost too strong for use in chronic cases, but would probably 

 be very effectual in acute dysentery, diarrhoea, " red flux ", etc. 



