ANALYSIS OF MINERAL WATERS. 275 



cannot be considered as being necessarily the real ingredients, 

 and to state them as such would often convey a wrong idea of 

 the real composition. There are two views according to which 

 the state of combination in a saline solution may be inferred, 

 and in conformity to which, therefore, the composition of a 

 mineral water may be assigned. It may be supposed, that the 

 acids and bases are in simultaneous combinations. Or if they 

 be in binary combinations, the most probable conclusion with 

 regard to this, as I have already endeavoured to shew, (p. 230.) 

 is, that the combinations are those which form the most soluble 

 compounds, their separation in less soluble compounds, on 

 evaporation, arising from the influence of the force of cohe- 

 sion. In either of tluse cases, the propriety of first stating as 

 the results of analysis the quantities of acids and bases obtain- 

 ed, is obvious. On the one supposition, that of their existing 

 in simultaneous combination, it is all that is to be done. On 

 the other supposition, the statement affords the grounds on 

 which the proportions of the binary compounds are inferred. 

 And there can be no impropriety in adding the composition 

 conformable to the products of evaporation. The results of 

 the analysis of a mineral water may always be stated, then, in 

 these three modes : 1st, The quantities of the acids and bases : 

 Idly, The quantities of the binary compounds, as inferred from 

 the principle, that the most soluble compounds are the ingre- 

 dients ; which will have at the same time the advantage of ex- 

 hibiting the most active composition which can be assigned, 

 and hence of best accounting for any medicinal powers the wa- 

 ter may possess : And, Sdly, The quantities of the binary com- 

 pounds such as they are obtained by evaporation, or any oiher 

 direct analytic operation. The results will thus be presented 

 under every point of view. 



Mm 2 It 



