ALLUVIAL DIVISION. 
103 
^ this water, which is at first so pellucid and clear, is allowed to remain for a few hours in a 
glass, the gas which is extricated" from it adheres in the form of innumerable air bubbles to 
the inside surface of the glass ; in a short time after the water loses its transparency, a thin 
pellicle appears on its surface which has a slightly iridescent appearance; by degrees the 
water becomes perfectly opaque, the pellicle falls to the bottom, which, as well as the sides 
of the glass, is covered with a light brown powder which adheres firmly to it. The water 
after this recovers its former transparency, but loses its agreeable pungent and acidulous 
taste, becoming perfectly vapid, and has no other taste but that of a solution of marine salt 
in water.”* 
The following table shows the relative proportions of mineral ingredients in the waters of 
the Albany mineral spring, the Congress spring at Saratoga, and the Public well at Ballston.f 
Congress 
Public well at 
Albany mineral 
spring. 
Ballslon. 
spring. 
Muriate of soda,.. 
5r.50 
2r.'oo 
S^.OO 
Carbonate of lime,. 
13.75 
4.625 
4.00 
• Carbonate of soda,. 
5.00 
Carbonate of magnesia,. 
8.50 
5.625 
1.50 
Carbonate of iron,. 
1.00 
Muriate of lime,. 
1.75 
1.75 
0.50 
Muriate of magnesia,. 
2.50 
0.75 
Oxide of iron,__ 
0.25 
0.50 
Total solid contents in one pint of water,. 
78.25 
34.25 
71.00 
Carbonic acid gas in cubic inches,. 
33.00 
30.50 
26.00 
Reed’s Mineral Spring. 
This spring is in South-Argyle, Washington county, near the Moses kill. It is an acidulous 
carbonated water something like the Saratoga waters, but the gas does not escape very abun¬ 
dantly from the fountain. Bubbles of carbonic acid rise from the bottom of the fountain at 
short intervals, and the water has a pleasant acidulous taste, but it does not sparkle. It is 
resorted to by the people around, and many ride there from Saratoga to drink the water for a 
change. It' is a pleasant acidulous water. It is used by people in the vicinity for raising 
their dough preparatory to baking it, no yeast being required. The gas is slowly extricated 
from the water used in wetting the flour, and raises the dough as light as a sponge. The 
spring rises from a fissure in limestone near its junction with slate rocks, which are meta- 
morphic, or belong to the Taconic division of rocks. 
* Meade in Silliman’s .Tournal, XIII. pp. 146, 147. 
tib. p. 156. 
