WATER. 



fulphuric acid are fometimes met with like wife in the vi- 

 cinity of volcanoes. 



As to the medicinal properties of thefe waters, they pro- 

 bably differ little from thofe of a dilute folution of the dif- 

 ferent acids which they contain. For the particular pro- 

 perties of the Seltzer water, fee Seltzer. 



Compound Acidulous Waters. — Acidulous waters fome- 

 times contain fo large a proportion of fahne matters, that the 

 nature of their operation is conliderably moditied. Such 

 waters may be denominated faline aj:idulous waters. The 

 nature of their compofilion and medicinal properties wiU be 

 readily underftood from what has been already advanced. 



5. Sulphureous Waters. — Thefe are either Jimple or com- 

 pound. A good example of a Jimple fulphureous water is 

 the Moffat fpring. The village of Moffat is fituated in 

 Dumfriesfhire, on the banks of the Annan, about fifty 

 miles fouth-wefl of Edinburgh. The fulphureous waters 

 for which this village is noted, iffue from a rock a little 

 below a bog, whence, fays Dr. Saunders, they probably de- 

 rive their fulphureous ingredient. This water, even when 

 firft drawn, appears fomewhat milky. Its tafte is ful- 

 phureous, and flighlly faline. It fparkles a little when 

 poured from one glafs into another. On expofure to the air, 

 it becomes more turbid, and throws up a thin film, which is 

 pure fulphur, and it thuslofes its diilinguifhing properties as 

 a fulphureous fpring. This change even takes place in clofe 

 vefTels, fo that it cannot be exported with any advantage. 

 According to Dr. Garnett's analyfis, a wine pint of this 

 water contains 



Of fulphuretted hydrogen 



Of carbonic acid 



Of azote - ■ - 



And of muriate of foda 4.4 grains. 



With refpeft to the medicinal properties oHimpld fulphureous 

 waters, they have been always celebrated for their good 

 effefts in cutaneous affeftions in general, and alfo in fcro- 

 fula. They are apphed externally in the form of a warm 

 bath, as well as taken internally. They have been alfo re- 

 commended in bihous complaints, dyfpepfia, general want 

 of aftion in the alimentary canal, and calculous cafes. The 

 quantity of the Moffat waters ufually prefcribed internally 

 varies from one to three bottles every morning. But Dr. 

 Saunders juilly obferves,that few delicate ftomachs can bear 

 fo much. On the other hand, the fame eminent phyfician in- 

 forms us, that the common people not unfrequently fwal- 

 low from lix to ten EngUfh quarts in one morning. 



For further particulars refpefting this fpring, fee 

 Moffat. 



Sulphureous waters frequently contain fo confiderable a 

 proportion of faline fnbflances as to merit the name of com- 

 pound. An example of fuch waters we have in the cele- 

 brated fprings of Harrowgate, in Yorkfhire. ( See Harrow- 

 GATE. ) This water, when firft taken up, appears perfeftly 

 clear and tranfparent. It emits a few air-bubbles. Its 

 fmell is very ftrong, fulphureous, and foetid, like that of a 

 foul gun-barrel. Its tafte is bitter, naufeous, and ftrongly 

 faUne ; though it is remarkable that moft perfons fooii be- 

 come reconciled to it. On expofure to the air, it brcomes 

 turbid, the fulphureous odour is diminifhed, and the fulphur 

 is gradually depofited. According to Dr. Garnett, its fpe- 



cific gravity is 1.0064. -^ ^'"^ P*"*, according to thecK- 

 periments of the fame chemift, was found to contain about 



Cubic Inches. 

 Of fulphuretted hydVogen 

 Carbonic acid gas 



Azote 



2-375 



1. 000 



•S75 



And of 



Muriate of foda 

 Muriate of lime 

 Muriate of magnefia 

 Carbonate of lime 

 Carbonate of magnefia 

 Sulphate of magnefia 



4.25 



Grains. 



76.9 

 1.6 



11.4 



2.3 



•7 



1-3 



94.2 



With refpeft to the medicinal properties of waters of this 

 defcription, and particularly of Harrowgate water, they are 

 of the greateft ufe in all thofe complaints that require pur- 

 gatives, and at the fame time are benefited by fulphur ; 

 hence they have been long celebrated in cutaneous affec- 

 tions, in piles, worms, &c. They have alfo been found of 

 great ufe in that obftinately coftive habit of body which 

 ufually accompanies liypochondriafis. Harrowgate waters 

 were formerly principally applied externally, but now they 

 are generally recommended to be taken internally, in fuch 

 dofes as to produce a fenfible effeft upon the bowels ; for 

 which purpofe it is commonly neceffary to take in the morn- 

 ing three or four glaffes, of rather more than half a pint 

 each, at moderate intervals. 



6. Thermal Waters. — There is fomething fo myflerious 

 and remarkable in the circumftances of thermal fprings, that 

 they have in all ages attracted great attention, and been fup- 

 pofed to poffefs extraordinary medicinal properties. Hence, 

 by moft writers on mineral waters, thermal fprings have 

 been arranged under a diftinft head ; and as there appears to 

 be no ferious objeftion to this arrangement, we have thought 

 proper to adopt it. The inveftigation of the caufe of 

 thermal fprings belongs to the geologift, and will be found 

 under Earth, Hot Springs, TfiMPERjiTURE, Volcano> 

 and analogous articles. 



They may be divided into Jimple and compound. 

 Simple thermal waters are either tepid, that is, poffeffing a 

 temperature below that of the human body ; or warm, pof- 

 feffing a temperature above that point. A good example of 

 the fimple tepid waters are thofe of Buxton. ( See Buxton 

 Water. ) Tepid waters ufually occur in lime-ftone diftrifts. 

 Warm waters of every degree of temperature, even to the boil- 

 ing point, are occafionally met vrith iu the neighbourhood of 

 volcanoes. See VoLCANO. 



With refpeft to the medicinal properties of the fimple 

 thermal waters, it is extremely doubtful if they poffefs any 

 other powers than thofe of common water artificially raifed 

 to the fame temperature. 



Thermal fprings are liable to be impregnated with all the 

 different fubftances which ufually enter into the compofi- 

 tion of cold mineral waters ; hence they are very various 

 in their nature. Such thermal waters may be called com- 

 pound, and without any great facrifice of the principles of 

 arrangement we have adopted, may be comprifed under 

 three heads ; namely, a. Saline thermal waters, i. Acidulo- 

 chalybeate thermal waters, and c. Sulphureous thermal 



waters ; 



