C ll 9 ] 
According to what may be inferred from the fol- 
lowing experiments, it may be premifed, that this 
water appears to contain in it a large proportion of 
iron, but in two different forms ; and an aluminous 
falt„ which is conjoined with a terredrial principle. 
As the contents of feveral mineral waters have been 
the caufe of many different opinions, and of great 
difputes among phyficians and chymids ; as the in^. 
quiry I made into the principles of thefe waters, 
which I am now confidering, was not performed 
with that nicety and exadlnefs I could have wifhed; 
and as I am perfuaded, that to dogmatize in any 
branch of philofophy can never tend to its advance- 
ment ; I fhall not therefore pretend to determine 
with certainty in any part of this fubjedt, where the 
contrary opinion can be admitted with the lead: de- 
gree of probability. Thefe trials are indeed but few 
and imperfedt, and are no-way fufhcicnt to form an 
exadt account of this mineral water ; yet I believe 
they may afford fome conclufions, which may be 
ferviceable in compiling a more compleat hiftory of 
it. They render it pretty evident, that the above- 
mentioned principles are contained in thefe waters : 
and tho’ I will not pretend abfolutely to exclude all 
others, yet I mud fay, that, by what inquiry I made, 
I could not obferve them to be in the lead impreg- 
nated with any other kind of mineral fubdance. 
After a good deal of obfervation upon the water 
of this Spaw ; and after many fruitlefs attempts, 
which I have at different times made upon feveral 
other waters of the chalybeat kind in Scotland, in 
qued of the volatile fpirit, which has been commonly 
artributed to them j I mud own, that I have been 
induced 
