Analysis of the mineral waters of Avon, Livingston county, New York.

  • Salisbury, Samuel, 1806-1850.
Date:
1838
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Analysis of the mineral waters of Avon, Livingston county, New York. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    rock, thirty-sis feet below the surface of the ground, about one hundred rods from the Genesee river, and about thirty rods from the Conesus creek. The volume of water discharged from this spring, is the same at all seasons of the year, and docs not appear to depend in the least upon atmospheric influence ; as nearly as can be ascertained, under existing circumstances, it is fifty-four gallons in a minute. The temperature of the water is from 45 to 47 degrees Far. Its specific gravity is 10,018. Its taste resem- bles that of a solution of hydro-sulphuric acid,but it is more bitter line : it has thestrongndour of this acid. As it issues from the fountain, it is limpid, transparent, and somewhat sparkling, lvv amined by the aid ■ its, it contains as foreign to pure wa- ter, hydro-sulphuric, carbonic and [sulphuric acids, chlorine, carbonate of lime, lime, magnesia and soda. By delicate exper- iments, the less obvious ingredients of mineral waters are not indicated. Dr. Francis obs irves, that an analysis of these waters, which he caused to be made in l*,-!-,', did not afford satisfactory evidence ol their containing Iodine. Nevertheless, a strong pro- bability is, that both Iodine and Bromine enter into their compo- sition. It should, also, here be mentioned, that an analysis of the hydro-sulphurous waters of Caldas da Raynha, whose chemical constitution is similar to that of the Avon waters, was published in the London Philosophical Magazine, for Sept. 1830, and shows that both Iodine and Bromine enter into the composition of those waters. The water, when recently taken, acts upon Mercury, and ra- pidly forms the black sulphurct, while hydrogen gas is disenga- ged ; but with sulphate of iron, it occasions a precipitation of sulphuret of iron ; this effect is not due to the presence of a hy- dro-sulphate, but to the alkaline reaction of bicarbonate of lime. Litimus and turmeric papers are changed as by an alkaline solu- tion, the effect is greatest after they have been exposed to the air a moment after dipping. Wholly immersed, turmeric paper is scarcely altered. From this character, as supported by the