306 



Water and its Impurities, with 



wells in London contain sometimes 130 or 140 grains to 

 the gallon ; the London deep artesian wells average from 

 50 to 70 grains ; the wells at the royal mint 426 feet deep, 

 38 grains ; a well at Southampton 1,360 feet deep, 68 

 grains. The famous Grenelle well at Paris 1,794 feet deep 

 has 20 grains of saline matter to the gallon. There is a 

 difference in the character of the saline constituents of 

 the deep wells from those in other waters. 



The ocean was once fresh water but has become saline 

 from the matter dissolved out of the earlier rocks. Then 

 the rivers which ran to the sea were more impure than 

 now, for the soluble constituents of the land had not been 

 washed by so many leechings of rain water as at this 

 time : — all that was dissolved was carried down to the sea, 

 some of it to remain in solution, rendering sea water a 

 stronger brine, and depositing other solid matters to aid 

 in filling up its bed. This process is still going on. The 

 salt that comes from the Syracuse brine springs is sent to 

 markets in the east and west and north and south but all 

 finds its place ultimately in the sea. Some of our fashion- 

 able visitors at Saratoga would be surprised, if they have 

 not considered the matter, to know that all the waters 

 gushing there from the rocks are only rain waters sent up 

 from the ocean to explore the mountains for salts, which 

 when found are to be brought down to the sea. Nor is 

 the amount of solid matters thus carried away at all a small 

 one. I am saved the necessity of estimating for Saratoga 

 by the results arrived at by Professor Eamsay, who has 

 made this calculation for the waters of the thermal springs 

 at Bath which he informs us, " are far from being con- 

 spicuous among the European hot springs, for the quantity 

 of mineral matter contained in them in proportion to the 

 water which acts as a solvent. Yet if the sulphates of 

 lime and soda, and the chlorides of sodium and magnesia 

 and other mineral ingredients which they contain were 



