S E L 



S E M 



tained from this water, in diftilled water, and filtrated it, he 

 thereby obtained feven grains of a calcareous earth, per- 

 feftly foluble in all weak acids ; but by feveral different 

 modes of trial he was led to conclude, that this water con- 

 tains no ferruginous principle. 



Finding that the falts and earths contained in Seltzer- 

 water are too inconfiderable, both in quantity and quality, 

 to promife any very material medicinal effetls, he proceeded 

 to inveltigate what might be afcribed to the great quantity 

 of fixed air, which this water conllantly difcharges, in a 

 heat not exceeding that of the human body ; and the refnlt 

 was, that the faftitious air yielded by a bottle full of water, 

 containing exaAly fourteen ounces feven drachms, in a heat 

 never exceeding ii6^ by Fahrenheit's fcale, amounted to a 

 quantity which occupied a fpace, that required two ounces 

 two and a half drachms of water to fill it ; or allowmg two 

 hundred and fixty-five grains of common water for a cubic 

 inch, the whole water amounted to twenty-feven cubic 

 inches, and that which would fill the fpace occupied by the 

 air four ounces and one-fifth ; and fo large a quantity of in- 

 terltitial air, he fays, was generated in a heat not incom- 

 patible with life in any part of the world, as the fever-heats 

 in all climates teftify, and lefs than the heat which is often 

 experienced without inftantaneous prejudice, in fome tropi- 

 cal climates. 



However, this generated air foon began to be re-abforbed 

 into the body of the water, and in about eight hours, the 

 fpace occupied by the remaining air did not exceed one- 

 fifth of what it had formerly done. 



From another experiment with the fait of Seltzer-water, 

 he found that this feems to have let go much the greateft 

 part of its fixed air, and probably thereby loft, moft of the 

 virtues inherent in the pure frefh water itfelf. 



From fuch experiments Dr. Brocklefby infers, that Selt- 

 zer mineral water contains, befides the mere elementary 

 water, a very fmall quantity of calcareous earth, and a 

 much greater portion of a native mineral alkali, together 

 with fome acid retained a while within the water, but which 

 either evaporates into the open air, or elfe is foon combined 

 with the mineral alkali : and he thinks it probable, that the 

 aftive virtues of this water depend more on this elaltic mat- 

 ter, or fixed air, which it contains in fuch uncommon 

 abundance beyond other mineral waters, than in any combi- 

 nation of its faline and earthy contents, which are found in 

 fuch fmall quantities, as to be incapable of any material 

 fervice, though this water is known to be exceedingly bene- 

 ficial. 



This account of the analyfis of Seltzer-water is clofed 

 with the hiftory of fome medical cafes, in which the ufe of 

 this water completed a cure, after a great variety of other 

 remedies had proved infufficient. 



The operation of this water, as Hoffman obferves, is 

 chiefly by urine, for it has no purgative virtues. It cor- 

 rects acidities, renders the blood and juices more fluid, and 

 promotes a brilk and free circulation ; and, therefore, it is 

 good in obftruftions of the glands, and againft grofs and 

 vifcid humours. It is of great ufe in the gravel and flone, 

 and other diforders of the kidnies and bladder. 



It is alfo excellent in gouty and rheumatic complaints, 

 efpecially when mixed with milk, or improved by the addi- 

 tion of Rhenifh wine and a little fugar. It is drank with 

 great fuccefs in fcorbutic, cutaneous, and putrid diforders. 

 It relieves the heart-burn, and is an excellent ftomachic. 

 On account of its diuretic quality, it is fervicesble in drop- 

 fical complaints : and mixed with affes' milk, it is much re- 

 commended in confumptive cafes, and in diforders of the 

 lungs ; with or without milk, it is in great elteem in nervous 



diforders, and alfo in hypochondriacal and hyfleric com-* 

 plaints, and in obilru&ions of the menfes, accompanying 

 the ufe of it with proper exercife. 



It is alfo adminiltered with fuccefs in purging and fluxes 

 arifing from acidity in the bowels ; and it is faid, if drank 

 by nurfes, to render their milk more wholefome and nourifh- 

 ing, and to prevenfit from turning four on the ftomachs of 

 children. See on the fubject of this article Hoffman, 

 Oper. vol. v. p. 144. London Med. Obferv. vol. iv. p. 7, 

 &c. Elliot's Account of the Principal Mmeral Waters, 

 p. 194, &c. 



SELTZER-lVa/er, Art'ifinal, may be prepared by adding 

 one fcruple of magnefia alba, fix fcruples of foflil alkali, 

 and four fcruples of common lalt to each gallon of water, 

 and faturating the water with fixed air, in the manner di- 

 rected under V'iK'sioST-lVater. 



SELVA, in Geography, a town of Spain, in Catalonia, 

 on the coalt of the Mediterranean, 35 miles N.E. of Ge- 

 rona. N. lat. 42° 20'. E. long. 3° 2'. 



Selva, a fmall ifland in the gulf of Venice, feparated 

 from Ulbo by a narrow channel ; it is rocky, and the foil fo 

 poor, that the ohves feldom come to perfection : the vines 

 produce bad grape', and the corn is ftill worfe. The (lone 

 that abounds here is chiefly hard whitifli marble. N. lat. 

 44° 38'. E. long. 14° 5'. 



SELVAGE, in Sea Language, a fort of hank or flcein 

 of rope-yarn tied together at feveral diftances. It is ufed to 

 faften round any rope, as a fhroud or ftay, fo that a tackle 

 may be hooked in it, to extend the faid (hroud or ftay, 

 which is called y^//m_f »'/ up. 



SELUCHUSA, in Ancient Geography, an ifland near 

 the Peloponnefus, being one of thofe which were fituated 

 on the coaft of the promontory of Spir<eum. Pliny. 



SELUCIA, in Geography, a town of the Arabian Irak, 

 160 miles N.W. of Baflbra. 



SELVE, La, a town of France, in the department of the 

 Aveyron, and chief place ef a canton, in the diftriA of 

 Rodes or Rhodez ; 14 miles S. of Rhodez. The place 

 contains 840, and the canton 673S inhabitants, on a terri> 

 tory of 242^ kiliometres, in 15 communes. 



SELVIG, a town of Denmark, on the W. coaft of the 

 ifland of Samfoe. N. lat. 55° 52'. E. long. io° 36'. 



SELUNE, a river of France, which runs into the fea, 

 near mount St. Michel. 



SELUR, in Ancient Geography, a town of India, on this 

 fide of the Ganges, in the interior of the country of the 

 Carxans, according to Ptolemy. 



SELYMBRIA, Selyvra, caUed alfo by Suidas Oly- 

 brla, a town of Thrace, on the coaft of the Propontide, 

 between the mouth of the river Athyras and Perinthus, or 

 Heraclea. Its name fignifies the town of Selys, bria figni- 

 fying town in the language of the Thracians. See Se- 



LIVRA. 



SELZBACH, in Geography, a river of France, which 

 runs into the Rhme, 7 miles below Fort Vauban. 



SEM, a river of RufTia, which rifes in the E. part of the 

 government of Kurflc, and pafling by Kurfli, unites with 

 the Dema, near Sofnitza, in the government of Novgorod 

 Sieverflcoe. 



SEMAMPLEXICAULE Leaf, in Botany. See 

 Leaf. 



SEMANA, in Geography, a town of Hindooftan, in the 

 fubah of Delhi ; 35 miles S. of Sirhind. N. lat. 29° 23'. 



E. long. 75° 33' Alfo, a town of Japan, in the ifland of 



Niphon ; i2j miles W. of Meaco. 



SEMAO, an ifland of the Eaft Indian fea, about 24. 

 miles long from N. to S., and from fix to ten broad; fepa- 



rated 



