400 
LEEDS CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
titles long, however, nnd soon degenerated from national to personal names, viz. Oddy’s 
saline chalybeate, and Oddy’s pure chalybeate springs, which were afterwards changed 
to Williams’s, when the property changed hands. During the time these ’wells were the 
property of the above owners, they appear to have gradually acquired the names which 
they have retained up to the present time, of Cheltenham saline chalybeate and pure 
chalybeate springs, from the then supposed resemblance of the saline chalybeate to the 
waters at Cheltenham. 
As some of the older analyses are given by their authors in the wine gallon, and the 
iron as oxide, they have been calculated to correspond with the more recent analyses. 
Dr. Hunter was the first to analyse this water in 1819, and deemed it of so much im¬ 
portance as to publish an essay upon it and the pure chalybeate water. Quoting his 
own words,—“The analysis of these two springs was conducted with as much care as 
possible. The experiments, which could be finished in a few hours, were undertaken 
upon the spot, but evaporation and other tedious processes were performed at Leeds, on 
the water carefully bottled and brought over for the purpose.” 
_ In early life Dr. Hunter settled in Leeds, and for many years held the office of phy¬ 
sician to the Leeds General Infirmary and Public Dispensary, and also that of lecturer 
on the practice of physic in the Leeds School of Medicine. He took an active part in 
the original formation and support of the Leeds Philosophical Society and the Leeds 
Mechanics’ Institute. He died June 22nd, 1843. 
The following year Sir Charles Scudamore published an analysis, which, it will be 
observed, differs widely from Dr. Hunter's, the quantity of saline residue being only two- 
thirds, the iron less than half. Sir Charles Scudamore was assisted in his analysis by 
Mr. Garden, operative chemist, London. Dr. S. says“ This water is unquestionably 
the second in importance among the various springs of which Harrogate has to boast. 
It appears to me to be a water possessing an excellent combination of saline ingredients, 
and of oxide of iron, held in solution by carbonic acid.” 
About the following year Dr. Murray furnishes an analysis, which shows in the total 
a little increase in the contents ; yet there is a correspondence in the various constitu¬ 
ents to the analysis as published by Sir Charles Scudamore, the introduction of the two 
new salts of soda and the absence of two salts of lime is evidently caused by a difference 
in the mode of constructing the table of analysis. 
Dr. Murray took the degree of doctor of medicine when only nineteen, and must have 
been possessed of considerable skill and experience in chemistry, through having had the 
advantage of being some time in the laboratory of the Royal Institution ; he appears to 
have been on intimate terms with Sir Humphry Davy, Sir Joseph Banks, etc. 
Dr. Garner made an analysis about the same time, which corresponds in an extra¬ 
ordinary degree with Dr. Murray’s, especially in the quantity of iron and total amount. 
In 1829 Dr. Hunter was engaged in writing a treatise upon the whole of the Harro¬ 
gate waters, and at this time he re-analysed the saline chalybeate water, with the co¬ 
operation of Mr. W. West, of Leeds, and found an increase of 50 per cent, of saline 
matter upon the quantity given by Scudamore, Murray, and Garner; his results also did 
not correspond with his previous analysis in 1819. It will be observed that the dis¬ 
crepancy is not only in the total of contents, but that in this second analysis he found 
no trace of a sulphate. 
_We now come to the analysis of the most illustrious chemist who has been engaged 
with the investigation of this water, viz. Professor Hofmann. He found not half the 
quantity of saline residue given by Dr. Hunter, and about 30 per cent, less than the 
amount stated by Scudamore, Murray, and Garner; there is, however, a correspondence 
in the amount of iron given, compared with that found by the three last-named 
analysts. 
In Dr. Hofmann’s report on the Harrogate waters,* he enters into details respecting 
the method by which he made the analysis. He says, speaking of the chalybeate 
waters:. “ The iron had been partly deposited from some of the waters by the time they 
airived in London ; it was therefore precipitated, in a special experiment at the well, 
by means of sulphide of ammonium from pretty large quantities of the water, and ulti¬ 
mate!) weighed as sesquioxide. Lastly, the total amount of solid residue was obtained 
* Vide 1 Pharmaceutical Journal,’ vol. siv. p. 76. 
