496 
REMARKS  ON  CUPREOUS  SODA  WATER. 
REMARKS  ON  CUPREOUS  SODA  WATER,  WITH  COMMENTS. 
To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy. 
Dear  Sir, — I  saw  an  article  in  your  last  journal  upon  the  "  Poisonous 
Effects  of  Soda  Water  from  copper  fountains  and  lead  pipes,"  by  J.  Ogden 
Doremus,  M.D.,  in  which  he  states  that  he  "  procured  several  gallons  of 
the  favorite  beverage  and  submitted  it  to  chemical  examination."  The 
substance  which  first  attracted  attention  was  copper.  "  This  was  very 
abundant  in  soda  water  obtained  from  several  obscure  shops,  where  it  was 
presumed  the  traffic  was  limited,  and,  consequently  the  acid  water  remained 
longer  in  the  copper  condensers."  Persons  who  are  not  altogether  igno- 
rant of  the  process  in  which  soda  water  is  made  are  aware  of  this  impor^ 
tant  fact.  It  is  a  fact  evident  that  if  soda  water  be  left  standing  in  the  copper 
fountains  for  any  length  of  time,  even  a  day,  it  will  become  im- 
pregnated with  the  copper,  especially  if  the  fountain  is  not  lined 
with  tin.  Dr.  Doremus  says  "  that  a  large  portion  of  the  soda  water  which 
he  submitted  to  chemical  examination  was  procured  from  obscure  shops, 
where,  it  was  presumed,  the  traffic  was  very  limited."  In  such  instances 
it  is  highly  probable,  simply  from  the  important  fact  that  it  was  limited  to 
such  an  extent  that  it  would  notjpay  to  have  the  fountains  re-tinned  every 
year,  and  new  pipes  re-fitted,  therefore  persons  should  be  very  cautious 
about  drinking  soda  water  at  all  such  establishments.  Persons  who  are 
fond  of  the  beverage  should,  in  all  instances,  get  it  from  the  more  respect- 
able establishments,  where  the  trade  is  very  large,  as,  for  instance,  I  have 
known  Messrs.  *  *  *  *  *,  apothecaries,  of  St.  Louis,  to  dispense 
from  fifteen  hundred  to  two  thousand  glasses  per  day.  In  an  instance  of 
this  kind  the  soda  water  remains  in  the  condenser  only  a  very  few  hours, 
and  it  has  been  submitted  to  chemical  examination  and  was  found  to  be 
perfectly  pure. 
Dr.  Doremus  says,  "  that  he  was  informed  by  a  resident  of  St.  Louis 
that,  while  the  cholera  prevailed,  most  persons  abandoned  the  use  of  soda 
water.    It  was  a  common  remark  that  Mr.  took  a  glass  of  soda  water 
and  was  immediately  attacked  with  cholera."   This  is  all  very  true,  but  it 
was  only  when  Mr.  took  a  glass  of  soda  water  at  one  of  those  obscure 
establishments  which  are  very  numerous  in  St.  Louis. 
Edwin  R.  Swann; 
St.  Louis,  Sept.  Uth,  1854. 
Remarks  by  the  Editor. — In  publishing  the  above  letter  it  is 
with  some  doubts  as  to  its  utility,  yet,  as  in  the  preceding  number, 
page  422,  we  introduced  the  paper  of  Dr.  Doremus,  (which  has 
called  it  out,)  without  comment,  it  is  proposed  now  to  add  a  few 
observations.  The  leading  point  in  Mr.  Swann's  letter  is,  that 
soda  water  can  only  be  obtained  in  good  order  from  stores  whose 
