52 



Proceedings of the lloyal Irish Academy. 



A portion of this sample, when aerated and kept out of contact 

 with the air for a fortnight, suffered no diminution in the dissolved 

 oxygen. 



The foregoing two sets of analyses, when compared, show that 

 the two samples differed but slightly in composition, although they 

 were collected at different seasons of the year. 



The water holds in solution an abnormally large volume of 

 nitrogen, fully twice that found at ordinary atmospheric pressures 

 and temperatures. 



It is probable that the excess of nitrogen was derived from the 

 fermentative decomposition of nitrates ; TS parts nitric nitrogen per 

 100,000 parts of the water would, on decomposition, yield 14 cc. 

 Nitrogen at 0° C, and 760 mm. bar. If wholly derived from tlie air, 

 the water must have been subjected to considerable pressure, at least 

 that of two atmospheres. The spring evidently rises from a consider- 

 able depth below the surface of the ground, otherwise the water 

 would not retain so much nitrogen in solution. 



The fact that after several days of strong frost, and at a time 

 when the temperature of the air was 32° Eahr., that of the water, as 

 it rose to the surface of the well, was 60'5° Fahr., shows that the water 

 is unaffected by surface conditions. 



A large volume of the water was collected on the 24th of ^^ovember, 

 1904, and a careful quantitative analysis was made of its saline 

 constituents. The results are given in the subjoined table : — 



Constituents, expressed as grains per gallon — 



Calcium bicarbonate, . . . . .35-24 



Ferrous bicar])onate, ..... 0-32 



Magnesium sul^jhate, ..... 3'24 



Magnesium chloride, . . . . . 9-38 



Sodium chloride, ...... 41-24 



Potassium chloride, 0-15 



Lithium chloride, ..... trace 



Earium sulphate, trace 



Alumina, O'll 



Silica, 0-53 



90-21 



It appears from the foregoing results that the water is a mild saline 

 water, and should, I think, prove of value in therapeutic action. This 

 is a question, liowever, which more properly belongs to the domain 

 of medicine. 



