196 dupont's ARTESIAN WELL AT LOUISVILLE. 



GASES IN ONE GALLON. 



Sulphureted hydrogen 2.0050 



Carbonic acid 6.1720 



Nitrogen 1.3580 



The analysis was performed by the usual methods ; but as 

 chloride of lithium was sought for and found, it may be of in- 

 terest to detail the method of research in this particular, as a 

 guide to similar investigations of other mineral waters in this 

 country. Ten gallons of water were evaporated to about two 

 pints (there was an abundant deposition of salts); to this was 

 added one gallon of ninety -five per cent, alcohol ; it was then 

 thrown on a filter, and the salts on the filter washed with 

 alcohol of the same strength; the filtered liquor was evaporated 

 nearly to dryness; in the present instance the residue consisted 

 of a few ounces of a thick, syrupy liquid ; to this was added 

 one pint of absolute alcohol; additional salts were precipitated; 

 the liquid was again filtered and evaporated nearly to dryness; 

 to it were added eight ounces of distilled water and two ounces 

 of milk of lime (pure lime made by igniting carbonate of lime 

 prepared by carbonate of ammonia) ; the lime was added for 

 the purpose of precipitating the magnesia and alumina; again 

 filtered and washed; the filtered liquid was somewhat concen- 

 trated, and while warm carbonate of ammonia was added to 

 precipitate the lime; it was then filtered and evaporated to 

 about a fluid-ounce and treated with a little lime-water and 

 carbonate of ammonia alternately, to insure the absence of the 

 last traces of magnesia and lime. 



Before going further it would be well to state that the treat- 

 ment of alcohol separates the great mass of salts that are held 

 in solution by the water, and which interfere with the detection 

 of so minute a constituent as the lithium salt; by the alcohol 

 we reduce the salts to small amounts of chlorides of magnesium, 

 aluminum, calcium, sodium, potassium, and lithium; by the 

 lime the first two are got rid of, and by the carbonate of am- 

 monia the lime is precipitated. 



The solution, now oontaining the chlorides of sodium, potas- 

 sium, lithium, and ammonium, is evaporated to dryness, and 

 the residue heated to dull redness, by which the ammonia salt 

 is expelled and a little organic matter destroyed; the residue 

 is next dissolved in water, and a drop or two of the liquid tested 



