504 
REMARKS  ON  THE  SARATOGA  SALT. 
definite  allusion  to  the  Congress  water  ;  but  Sir  H.  Davy  is  quoted 
as  saying : — « It  is  impossible  to  recombine  [mark  that  word, 
re-combine,]  the  ingredients  so  as  to  make  an  article  of  equal 
quality,  the  effect  of  which  will  be  the  same  as  the  natural  water." 
This  assertion,  however,  in  relation  to  Congress  water,  needs  not 
the  great  name  attached  to  it,  to  give  it  credit;  for  every  chem- 
ist, acquainted  with  the  nature  of  that  water,  knows  well  that  it 
wTould  be  impossible,  after  evaporating  it  to  dryness,  to  "re-com- 
bine "  the  ingredients,  by  re-dissolving  the  dried  natural  salt,  so  as 
to  imitate  the  natural  water.    This  is  all  that  Sir  Humphrey  Davy 
could  have  meant ;  as  is  evident  from  his  using  the  word  "  re- 
combine."    This  we  all  know  cannot  be  done;  and  the  author 
of  the  preparation  in  question  has  attempted  no  such  ' absurdity. 
But  Sir  IT.  Davy  never  would  have  said  that  no  chemical  combina- 
tions could  ever  be  devised,  by  which  the  same  elements  which  come 
together  in  nature  to  form  the  Congress  water,  might  be  brought 
together  by  art,  in  a  form  analogous  with  that  of  nature ;  for  he 
knew  otherwise :  and  his  great  co-laborer,  Faraday,  not  only 
knew  it,  but  gave  his  certificate  of  approval  to  a  preparation  made 
in  England  on  the  very  same  principles  as  the  Cheltenham  Salt 
mentioned  above ;  as  may  be  seen  in  the  passage  in  the  United 
States  Dispensatory,  above  referred  to.    Professor  Hare,  (late 
of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,)  Professor  Booth,  (of  the 
Mint  of  the  United  States,)  and  Professor  Rogers,  (Dr.  Hare's 
successor  in  the  chemical  chair  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,) 
have  already  given  their  distinct  approval  of  the  principles  on 
which  the  "  Saratoga  Salt  "  is  made.    Shall  we  doubt  or  disre- 
gard the  judgment  of  these  chemists,  because  the  proprietors  of 
the  Congress  Spring  insinuate  or  assume  that  the  article  should 
not  be  relied  on  ? 
In  regard  to  their  hint  in  the  Circular,  that  their  "  old  bot- 
tles "  may  be  "greedily  bought  up,"  for  the  "purpose  of  filling 
them  "  with  the  artificial  water,  they  will  please  to  observe  that 
this  suggestion  to  the  druggists  and  other  dealers  at  a  distance, 
came  gratuitously  from  themselves,  and  not  from  the  manufac- 
turer of  the  Saratoga  Salt. 
Should  the  proprietors  of  the  Spring  not  be  satisfied  by  the 
above  explanation,  let  them  do  me  the  justice  to  procure  a  bottle 
of  the  Salt,  (each  bottle  containing  enough  salt  for  about  two 
