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swan's atmospheric soda fountain. 1S3 
ART. XXVIIL— DESCRIPTION OF SWAN'S ATMOSPHERIC 
SODA FOUNTAIN. 
Extract of a letter Jrom L. B. Swan, Esq., to a member 
of the Publishing Committee. 
"With this I take the liberty of sending you a drawing and 
description of an apparatus for making soda water, which I 
have used successfully in my establishment for three years 
past, and it is now employed by several druggists in this part 
of the state. 
It makes no pretensions to improve the medicinal proper- 
ties of soda water, but I have found it to answer the purpose 
well in the formation of this beverage, which in fact gives better 
satisfaction than the water from any of the fountains on the old 
plan which are in use here. I was led to make the experi- 
ment by the fact, that in small cities, like ours, and in large 
towns, it is almost impossible, with the amount of the busi- 
ness we have, to make soda water profitable, and even to make 
it pay its own expenses, owing to the original expense of an 
apparatus and the keeping it in operation. You will readily 
perceive the economy of the fountain, as the original cost is 
but about ^30, and the trouble and expense but trifling in 
comparison with the old process; the difficulty from the 
fermentation of syrup during the warm season being also en- 
tirely obviated by the tartaric acid. However, as I wish to 
have the thing stand upon its own merits, I will say no more 
in commendation. I send the drawing and description for 
your inspection, and such other gentlemen of the College of 
Pharmacy to whom you may choose to submit it, and shall 
consider it a favour if, after examining, you will say what you 
think of it. I might send the certificates of respectable me- 
dical and scientific gentlemen who have examined it, but as 
my only object is to introduce it to your notice I will not 
trouble you further. 
liochester, August 10th, 1S37.'' 
