512 M'NETEN ON THE MINERAL WATER 



a portion of ammonia was first added, in order to saturate any acid that 

 might be present, since oxalate of lime is readily soluble in the mineral 

 acids. 



h. Muriate of barytes afforded no precipitate in the course of three 

 or four hours. Yet this indication is not decisive. 



i. Lime water added in equal parts produced a copious precipitation 

 soluble in nitric acid with effervescence. 



k. Nitrate of silver changed the colour of the water to a ligbt opal. 

 The same re-agent indicated that the water of the adjoining brook was 

 remarkably free from muriatic salts. 



The ninth experiment, especially in the quantity in which the hydrate 

 of lime was employed, shows that the mineral water of Schooley's Moun- 

 tain contains carbonic acid. When this test is mixed only in small pro- 

 portion with water holding carbonic acid, the result is apt to be fallacious, 

 as the excess of acid re-dissolves the lime. The super-carbonate of lime 

 will remain in solution when a sub-carbonate would fall to the bottom. 

 By the experiments («.) and (&.) it is seen that carbonic acid is the 

 solvent of the iron. The connexion between this result and the con- 

 stitution of the mountain, is also striking. The mountain abounds in 

 magnetic iron ore, and it is in this state that a carbonated water can take 

 up most of the metal. The water is perfectly clear when fresh from 

 the spring, but soon grows turbid by exposure to the air, and gradually 

 deposites a fine ochre. A part also swims on the surface in the form of 

 a thin shining pellicle. After it falls to the bottom the presence of iron 

 is no longer indicated by the most delicate tests. These effects are 

 proofs of its being a carbonated chalybeate, for the turbidness by the 

 precipitation of ochre and the pellicle, do not take place until the 

 carbonic acid has flown off, whether separated spontaneously, or expelled 

 by heat 



