BAILEY. | Mineral Waters. 55 
Calcium salts have also been given in hemophilia to 
increase the coagulability of the blood. Although the last 
word has not been spoken on this interesting subject, it would 
seem that hemophilia is not usually dependent on the deficiency 
of lime salts. Nevertheless most clinicians report very favor- 
able results. Further than this, there would not seem to be 
any rational therapeutic indications for the calcium ion, the 
calcium salts only being useful on account of the acids with 
which they are combined or by virtue of their alkaline action.’’ 
Tron is regarded as one of the most useful substances to be 
found in a mineral water. As it is found in the hemoglobin of 
the blood, and as it occurs in the lymph, chyle, gastric juice 
and other liquids of the body, it must be extremely important 
in the animal economy. Chalybeate waters” ‘‘ produce a con- 
structive metamorphosis, creating more red blood corpuscles, 
thereby increasing the specific gravity of the blood and of the 
bodily weight, reproducing a healthy glow and the rosy cheek 
on the faded and bleached-out face.’’ By the use of the hemo- 
elobometer, it has been shown that ‘‘ the deficiency of the color- 
ing matter of the blood, observed in anemic states, may be 
readily made up by the administration of a carefully selected 
chalybeate water. It matters not though iron be present in 
small quantities, and few of the carbonated iron waters contain 
more than five or six grains per gallon. The blood contains 
normally about forty-five grains of iron, and this quantity can- 
not be permanently increased by consuming large quantities. 
It is probable that the deficiency, no matter how produced, 
never exceeds fifteen or twenty grains.’’ 
The tendency, then, is to increase the appetite, promote diges- 
tion, and relieve a languid or depressed condition of the system. 
Though the iron occurs sometimes as sulfate and chlorid, yet 
the most common combination is the bicarbonate, and this is 
supposed to be the form in which it most readily enters the cir- 
culation. For special notes on the occurrence of iron in mineral 
waters, see Part II. ‘‘The indications for the use of the iron 
waters are numerous. In slow convalescence from acute dis- 
25. Mineral Waters of the United States, Crook, page 49. 
