38 On the Mineral Waters near Landour. 



Continent. In the year 1845, no fewer than twenty-six 

 works on mineral waters issued from the press in Germany 

 alone. New springs are constantly discovered, and new works 

 published lauding their virtues, chiefly by parties who hope 

 to make a livelihood by them. In these days, when facilities 

 of communication have almost removed from the mind of the 

 traveller the calculation of distance, baths in the most re- 

 mote localities are eagerly visited, and yet this resort to new 

 candidates for public favour seems hardly to affect the flow 

 of visitors to springs of more established reputation. Every 

 season produces its new spas and its new flock of visitors. 



Very different is the state of things in India. From time 

 to time no doubt a few notices of the existence of mineral 

 waters had come before the world, and occasionally some 

 suggestions to Government regarding their use had been 

 thrown out, but their chemical and medicinal qualities were 

 never accurately examined. Thus the wells of Sonah near 

 Delhi were described by Mr. Ludlow ; those on the new 

 Benares road, in the Hazarebagh district, were mentioned by 

 H. H. Wilson ; and two springs in the valley of the Nerbudda, 

 were noticed by Mr. Spilsbury. All of them appear to 

 belong to the class of sulphuretted or Harrowgate water ; 

 most of them possess a high temperature; and have been 

 more or less resorted to by natives chiefly for the cure of 

 cutaneous complaints. But their real or supposed virtues 

 have never induced an European to resort to them in the 

 hopes of imbibing renewed health. 



The first systematic attempt to rouse the attention of the 

 authorities to the value of mineral waters was made by Dr. 

 Murray in the report which these remarks accompany. In it 

 he details the circumstances which led to the discovery of 

 them : and it appeared at first a most fortunate coincidence that 

 these wells should be found close to our chief sanatorium. 



In May last we walked down the beautiful valley which 

 leads from Landour to the springs, and on reaching them 



