[28 ] 



Since receiving the above account, I wrote to Dr> 

 Wood, and begged to know of him what propor- 

 tion of fea falts thefe waters contained, and whether 

 they had any mixture of a bittern in their compofi- 

 tion 5 and I had the following anfwer, dated Oft. 

 17, 1770. 



" Since I received your letter, I evaporated a 

 " Scotch pint (Lib. iv.); of thefe waters in a white 

 " ftone bafon, and I obtained two drachms of a 

 " fait, which always run per ddiquium y and, would 

 " not cryftallife. I £hali try it again in the fum- 

 " mer, as at this feafon the air, being much charged? 

 " with watery particles, may have prevented the 

 " cryftallifation.. By dropping a foiution of potafh 

 " into three Scotch pints (lib. xiL) of the watfers, 

 u I got eighty five grains of a very fine magnefia." 



The fix bottles of this water which were fent to 

 me, arriving at a time when I was much engaged, 

 they remained for feveral months in the hamper in ; 

 which they were originally packed 5 and I did not . 

 try any experiment with the water till the zd of 

 October laft. It was then clear and. tranfparent as 

 the pureft rock water, only it feemed to have fome . 

 few particles of light earth fwimming. through it.' 

 It had then a fetid fulphureous fmell, refembling> 

 fomewhat that of a foul gun or of rotten eggs, and. 

 it tinged iilver in the fame way as the fulphureous 

 waters beforementioned; and it had a fulphureous and) 

 flight faltifh tafte. This fetid fulphureous fmell,, 

 taite, and property of tinging filver,. which this as 

 well as m oft other fait waters acquire by keeping, R 

 fiifpect to be owing to a fermentation taking place in, 

 ihe water, and flightly uniting fbme of the fine oily 



matter, 



