WATER. 



Voyage towards the North Pole, ia 1773, did equal juftice 

 to the method of obtaining fre(h water from the fea by dif- 

 tilhtion, which had been introduced into the EngliHi navy 

 in 1770, by Dr. Irving, and for which he obtained a parlia- 

 mentary reward of 5000/. 



Dr. Irving's contrivance confided in converting the (hip's 

 kettle into a ftill. Every fhip's kettle is divided into two 

 parts, by a partition in the middle ; one of thefe parts is 

 only in ufe when peas or oatmeal are drelTed, but water is at 

 the fame time kept in the other, to preferve its bottom. 

 Dr. Irving availed himfelf of this circumftance ; and by fill- 

 ing the fpare part of the copper with fea-water, and fitting 

 on the lid and tube, Ihewed that fixty gallons of frefh water 

 could be drawn off, during the boiling of either of the above- 

 mentioned provifions, without tVie ufe of any additional fuel. 

 He recommended alfo the preferving of the water diftilled 

 from the coppers in which peas, oatmeal, or pudding, are 

 drefled, as both a falutary beverage for the fcorbutic, and 

 the moil proper kind of water for the boiling of fait pro- 

 vifions. Dr. Irving particularly direiled that only three- 

 fourths of the fea-water (liould be dillilled, as the water dif- 

 tilled from the remaining concentrated brine was found to 

 have a difagreeable taftc ; and as the farther continuation of 

 the diftillation proved injurious to the vefiels. For an ac- 

 count of the feveral experiments made on fome of the bed 

 diftilled water, prepared by Dr. Irving from fea-water, by 

 Dr. Watfon, fee his Chem. Eff. vol. ii. p. 168, &c. 



The (hips of difcovery lately fent out by the French go- 

 vernment are furnilhed with an economical diftilling appa- 

 ratus, and inftead of water have taken with them a fupply 

 of fuel. 



Dr. Prieilley fuggelled a plan to give to diftilled water 

 the briflcnefs and fpirit of frefh fpring-water, and at the 

 fame ■•time to render it, perhaps, a remedy or preventive 

 againft the fcurvy, by impregnating it with carbonic acid 

 gas. Diftilled water alfo acquires, in aconliderable degree, 

 the grateful flavour of common water, by fimple expofure 

 for fome time to the atmofphere. 



Sea-water may be likewife rendered potable by converting 

 it into ice. In the polar regions, therefore, there can be no 

 want of frefh water. In warm climates, the ingenious freez- 

 ing apparatus of Mr. Leflie may be employed to procure a 

 fupply of frefh water from the ocean. 



b. As an example of the bitterns we may feleft the Sedlitz, 

 water, which is one of the beft known, and ftrongeft of this 

 defcription of fimple faline waters. Sedlitz is a village in 

 Bohemia, and its waters, as well as thofe of Seydfchutz in 

 the immediate neighbourhood, and which clofely refemble 

 them, were firft brought into note about a century ago by 

 the celebrated Bergman. The tafte of thefe waters is 

 ftrongly bitter and fahne, but not in the leaft brifl< or aci- 

 dulous, as they ufually contain a fmall proportion of gafeous 

 matters. Thus the Seydfchutz water above-mentioned was 

 found by Bergman to yield only 6 per cent, of gafeous pro- 

 dufts, two-thirds of which only were carbonic acid. Its 

 fpecific gravity, as ftated by the fame chemift, is 1.006, and 

 an Englifh wine pint was found to contain of 



Grains. 

 Carbonate of lime - - -944 



Sulphate of lime - - 5-140 



Carbonate of magnefia - - 2.622 



Muriate of magnefia - - 4-567 



Sulphate of magnefia - - 180.497 



193.770 



Sulphate of foda is not mentioned as an ingredient 

 in this water, although it doubtlefs exifts in it ; at leaft 

 this fait almoft always occurs in waters of this defcrip- 

 tion. 



Medicinal Properties and Ufes of the fimple faltne Waters. — 

 All waters of this defcription aft more or lefs ftrongly upon 

 the bowels, according to the quantity of fahne ingredients 

 which they contain ; hence they are often of the greateft ufe 

 in complaints where alvine evacuations are particularly indi- 

 cated. They generally aft alfo as diuretics. Sea-water and 

 all brines have the property of inducing a fenfation of thtrft. 

 " Sea-water," fays Dr. Saunders, " when ufed internally, 

 fliould be taken in fuch dofes as to prove moderately purga- 

 tive, the incrcafeof this evacuation being the peculiar objeft 

 for which it is employed : about a pint is generally fuffi- 

 cient, and this fliould be taken in the morning, at two dofes, 

 with an interval of about half an hour between each. It is 

 feldom neceffary to repeat the dofe at any other time of the 

 day. This quantity contains half an ounce of purgative fait, 

 of which about three-fourths are muriate of foda." — " There 

 is very little danger ever to be apprehended from an excef- 

 five dofe of fea-water, except the inconvenience of a tem- 

 porary diarrhoea, and fometimes a forenefs at the extremity 

 of the reftum, which all faline purgatives are now and then 

 apt to produce." The internal ufe of fea-water, befides its 

 general ufe in difeafes where cathartics are indicated, has 

 been recommended in various forms of fcrofulous affeftion, 

 efpecially in indolent glandular tumours in the neck and 

 other parts, which are commonly flow in ulceratihg and in 

 their cure ; alfo in deep-feated fcrofulous inflammations, fol- 

 lowed by caries of the bones, profufe difcharges, and tedious 

 exfoliation, and particularly in fcrofulous ophthalmia. " In 

 all fuch cafes, the internal ufe of fea-water is almoft entirely 

 confined to thofe periods of the difeafe when there is no 

 general fever and heftic tendency, when no fymptoms of 

 danger are prefent, and when the objeft is rather to prevent 

 a relapfe than oppofe any prefent difeafe. The external 

 ufe of fea-water either as a general cold bath, or as a topical 

 apphcation to indolent fwelhngs, or granulating ulcers, when 

 the healing procefs has commenced, coincides perfeftly well 

 in thefe cafes with the general intention." The moft im- 

 portant advantages of fea-water are indeed probably derived 

 from its external ufe as a bath. { See the articles Bath and 

 Bathing. ) With refpeft to the medicinal properties of the 

 bitterns, we fhall attempt to illuftrate them by relating thofe 

 of the Sedlitz water, which we before felefted as an ex- 

 ample of the whole tribe. A pint of this water, taken in 

 divided portions, is generally a full dofe for an adult, and the 

 ftrongeft perfon feldom requires more than two pints. It 

 operates very fpeedily, and without producing griping or 

 flatulency; and is ftated by Hoff^mann, as quoted by Dr. 

 Saunders, to be of the utmoft advantage in a foul ftate of the 

 ftomach, and general torpor of the inteftinal canal, as it not 

 only ftimulates thefe organs to expel their morbid contents, 

 but by its bitternefs reftores their tone, and with it the appetite 

 and digeftive powers. " When the prefenceof hypochondriafis 

 is marked by anxiety, general languor, perturbed dreams, 

 a livid hue on the face, difficulty of breathing, pain of 

 the back and head, vertigo and coldnefs of the extremities ; 

 when a bihous humour and a depraved fecretion of the fto- 

 mach impairs its tone and healthy aftion, and is attended 

 with obftinate coftivenefs ; this water, by evacuating its con- 

 tents and reftoring the due force of contraftion, enables it to 

 throwoffthe offending matter." — " Numerous trials alfo have 

 ftiewn the efficacy of this faline water in that cachexy of fe- 

 males attended with a fuppreflion of the menftrual difcharge, 



wherebv 



