the Sulphur Wells at Harrogate, 185 
The bilge water, ufually found at the bottom of fhips which 
&re foul, is faid to fmell like Harrogate water: I at fir ft fup- 
pofed, that it had acquired this fmell in confequence of be- 
coming putrid in contact with the timber on which it refted, 
and this circum fiance I confidered as a notable fupport to the 
conjecture I had formed of rotten wood being, under certain 
circumftances, inftrumental in generating the fmell of Harro- 
gate water. But this notion is not well founded ; for the bilge 
Water is* I fuppofe, fait water 5 and Dn Short fays, that fea 
water, which had been kept in a ftone bottle fix weeks 66 flunk 
not much fhort of Harrogate fulphur water/’ It has been 
remarked above, that calcined fea- wrack, which contains a 
great deal of fea fait, exhales an odour fimilar in all refpeCts to 
that of Harrogate water ; and in confirmation of the truth of 
this remark* I find that an author, quoted by Dr. Short, fays, 
that “ Bay fait thrice Calcined, diffolved in water, gives exaCtly 
the odour of the fulphur Well at Harrogate.” From thefe 
experiments confidered together, it may* perhaps, be inferred, 
that common fait communicates a fulphureous fmell to water 
both by putrefaction and calcination. Hence fome may think, 
that there is fome probability in the fuppofition, that either 
a calcined ftratum of common fait, or a putrefcent fait fpring, 
may contribute to the production of the fulphureous fmell of 
Harrogate water ; efpecially as thefe waters are largely impreg- 
nated with common fait. However, as neither the fait in fea 
water, nor that of caHned fea-wraok, nor calcined bay fait, 
are any of them abfolutely free from the admixture of bodies 
containing the vitriolic acid, a doubt ftill remains, whether the 
fulphureous exhalation, here fpoken of, can be generated from 
fubftances in which the vitriolic acid does not exift. 
VomLXXVL Bb 
The 
