DAVIS : MINERAL WEALTH OF HARROGATE. 
of those who state the existence of sulphates in the water of the 
Old Well (Drs. IScudamore and Garnett), this to be an established 
case of a mineral water varying so much as at times to exhibit a 
notable quantity of a substance ; at other periods wholly absent." 
" Allow me to add," says Dr. Murray, that the same tests and 
the same appliances showed the presence of sulphates in the water 
from the sa?ne spring, in 1806, which did not do so in 1823, by the 
same chemist, who now remains, yours most faithfully, P. Murray." 
How near these chemists of former times were in discovering* 
the presence of barium, the existence of which is to be inferred by 
the absence of sulphates. 
The new sulphur well in the Royal Pump Room, designated 
No. 2, is stated by Mr. West, in 1835, to contain 11 grains sulphate 
soda in a gallon of the water; in 1869 Drs. W. A, Miller and 
Muspratt give barium as a constituent ; this is now absent, and 
sulphate of lime to the extent of 15.89 grains per gallon is present ; 
this well is within 5 feet of the Old Sulphur Well. In 1866 I found 
3.54 grains Barium Carbonate in a gallon of the water from the 
Magnesia Well ; during the past winter I noticed this constituent 
had disappeared, and a sulphate was present ; quite recently I find 
the barium has re-appeared. 
But a still moi-e rapid change of these constituents has come 
under my notice, in December last year, in the making of a shalloAV 
trench in the cellar of the Royal Pump Room, for laying a pipe to 
take the overflow of one of the wells, a spring of sulphur water was 
observed, this was utilized, at first the water showed with the usual 
tests abundant evidence of the presence of a sulphate, a month later 
the sulphate had disappeared and barium had taken its place. 
The presence of barium militates against the usually accepted 
theory, as stated even in the most recent text books of geology, 
viz : — that the sulphiding of the waters is produced by the decom- 
position of sulphates in contact with organic matter. I infer that the 
presence of sulphates in a sulphur water is regarded as conclusive evi- 
dence of the correctness of this theory, but when there are no sulphates, 
and barium and strontium, constituents of the primitive rocks are 
present, some more satisfactory explanation seems to be requured. 
