m wm T4M\ 1 I CHEMICAL EXAMINATION OF THE MINERAL WATER OF SCHOOLEY'S MOUNTAIN. ^>ejl» BEFORE THE LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF NEW-YORK, ON THE THIRTEENTH or JULY, isis.] BY WILLIAM JAMES M'NEVEN, M. D. Fellow of the Literary and Philosophical Society; Professor of Chemistry in the University of New-Fork, fyc. ,?; .;.vf- J\Jf SSmSSSSm Vv jr. s.r ' . ■ c> •' * f f ' f.V*u*W '■» JVEW Y0i*A\- PRINTED BY VAN WINKLE AND WILET, Corner of Wall and New Streets. 1815. CHEMICAL EXAMINATION, &c The mineral water of Schooley's Mountain, in New-Jersey, has of late years acquired so much just celebrity in cases of calculous concretion.!; that it is equally an object of interest for the physician and chemist to ascertain the nature of a natural production which affords such certain relief in so distressing a complaint. The bare taste and appearance of this water show that it is a chaly- beate. It is strongly characterized by the peculiar astringency and savour of ferruginous impregnations. The reservoirs which receive it have need of being frequently cleansed of a yellow ochrish deposite left -tWi^», in considerable quantity, by the running of the spring. The water, though remarkably clear when first taken, bccwne» turbid upon standing for some time in the open air, and, after a longer interval, an irridescent pellicle forms on its surface, similar to what happens, in like circumstances, to other chalybeates. Ochre and other indications of iron, are dispersed extensively through the surrounding rocks and soil. Iron ore is so plentiful in the vicinity, that furnaces are in operation, both in the eastern and western districts of the chain, of which this mountain forms part, and much of the ore is magnetical. Lime-stone 1 M'NEVEN ON THE MINERAL WATER is found at the base of the hills and along the valleys. The inhabitant- burn it for economic purposes. Our learned associate, professor Mitchill, has given some interesting geological observations on this district, which he visited in 1810* He represents Schooley's Mountain as the middle region of the transition chain, which extends in a north-easterly and south-westerly direction across the state of New-Jersey, from the Highlands of New-York to the Delaware. These heights completely divide the waters of New- Jersey. From their north-western slope all their streams descend to the Hudson and the Delaware. From their south-eastern declivity, their currents reach the ocean by Newark and Raritan bays. These elevations have, however, no pretensions to be classed with the Shawan- gunk Mountains, which are a distinct chain, and make part of the great Alleghany. Schooley's Mountain is of more moderate elevation. Geometrical measurement has determined that its height, above its im- mediate base, is more than six hundred feet ; and Doctor Mitchill calculates, by approximation on the falls of water at the different mill- dams along the hurrying channel of the Musconetcunck to its junction with the Delaware,, and on the «W»eiit thence to Xrenton, that the base itself is five hundred feet more above tide-water.f Rocks are thickly distributed over the face, and along the sides of the mountain. They consist chiefly of feldspar and quartz.* Many masses may be examined without observing a vestige of mica, but a little schistus or hornblende is found embodied in its stead. The mineral spring is found in the town of Washington, in the coun- tv of Morris. It is situated in a deep defile, between two. beautifully * Vide the valuable Mineralogical Journal of Dr. Bruce, vol. i. p. 70. f Mitchill, ibid. Ovi*^-****-—.^<% '"■^y**^*"* *tr{/tfiLiA^t /*X^V«-^> OF SCHOOLEY'S MOUNTAIN. 0 wooded mountains, and issues from the perpendicular side of a steep rock, about forty or fifty feet above the level of a brook that gurgles and foams over a rocky bottom, within a few paces of it. The extre- mity of a wooden leader is adapted to the cleft in the rock to receive the water, and convey it to the platform where the drinkers assemble ; and to recesses, whither the bathers retire. The spring discharges a gallon in about two minutes and a half, and the quantity is not observed to vary under any changes of season or weather. Its temperature, at its issue from the rock, was found to be fifty-two degrees of Fahrenheit. I instituted the following preliminary trials in order to obtain some ge- neral notion of the substances to be expected from the analysis of this water. a. Though it seemed superfluous to examine it for iron, yet in order to observe its habitudes with the tests of that metal, prussiate of lime was added to a portion of it fresh from the spring, and tincture of galls to another. The tincture speedily turned it of a fine purple colour, and the prussiate produced a precipitate after a short interval. b. I boiled a portion of the water, in a glass vessel, down to one half; Us transparcm^-was .hanged, ami it assumed a yellowish green colour, such as it acquires by standing a few hours in the open air. After this boiled water had entirely cooled, it no longer gave any indication of iron to the same tests. c. There was no effect produced by the water from the spring on infusion of litmus, nor on litmus paper. d. It produced no change in tincture of turmeric, nor in turmeric paper. e. The addition of concentrated sulphuric acid caused an extrication of air bubbles. f. Acetite of lead was in nowise discoloured. g. Oxalate of ammonia gave some precipitate, and, to avoid ambiguity 6 M'NEVEN ON THE MINERAL WATER a portion of ammonia was first added, in order to saturate any acid that might be present, since oxalate of lime is readily soluble in the mineral acids. h. Muriate of barytes afforded no precipitate in the course of three or four hours. Yet this indication is not decisive. i. Lime water added in equal parts produced a copious precipitation soluble in nitric acid with effervescence. k. Nitrate of silver changed the colour of the water to a light opal. The same re-agent indicated that the water of the adjoining brook was remarkably free from muriatic salts. The ninth experiment, (£.) especially in the quantity in which the hy- drate of lime was employed, shows that the mineral water of Schooley's Mountain contains carbonic acid. When this test is mixed only in small proportion with water holding carbonic acid, the result is apt to be falla- cious, as the excess of acid re-dissolves the lime. The super-carbonate of lime will remain in solution when a sub-carbonate would fall to the bottom. By the experiments (t.) and (Ar.) it is seen that carbonic acid is the solvent of the iron. The connexion between this result and the con- stitution of the mountain, is also striking.— The mountain al>©imde in magnetic iron ore, and it is in this state that a carbonated water can take up most of the metal. The water is perfectly clear when fresh from the spring, but soon grows turbid by exposure to the air, and gradually deposites a fine ochre. A part also swims on the surface in the form of a thin shining pellicle. After it falls to the bottom the presence of iron is no longer indicated by the most delicate tests. These effects are proofs of its being a carbonated chalybeate; for the turbidness by the precipitation of ochre and the pellicle, do not take place until the carbonic acid has flown off, whether separated spontaneously, or expelled by heat. of schooley's mountain. / A water holding sulphate of iron deposites an ochre by absorption of oxygen ; but if it contain a carbonate of iron, the precipitate is owing to the separation of carbonic acid. The carbonated chalybeates are by far the most numerous ; indeed, any others are extremely rare. It would appear by (c.) that the water from the spring does not contain a free acid ; but the just inference, with regard to the absence of carbonic acid, is, that the water does not contain the one eighteenth of its bulk of carbonic acid gas, that amount being necessary to produce the effect of reddening litmus paper. It appears by (d.) that there was not present a free nor carbonated alkali, nor a pure earth. (e.) Showed the separation of some gaseous substance; other trials determined it to be carbonic gas, (j\) Proves the absence of every thing sulphurous. The result of (g.) clearly indicated the presence of lime. (A.) Seemed to exclude the presence of sulphuric acid, but sulphate of lime, when present in only a very small proportion, is not detected, with ©«vt.ainty^by any single ie*t; and, through the subsequent analysis by evaporation, that substance was found to be contained in this water. (J^) Left no doubt of the presence of muriatic acid. Were it enough merely to determine the quality of this water, and the nature of its ingredients, those trials might be deemed almost suffi- cient ; but no chemical investigation will now be received as satisfactory, which does not exhibit the exact quantity and proportion of all the constituents of a compound. To do this, further experiments were necessary; and if in the detail of these I shall appear to bestow on small matters a disproportionate attention, it will be recollected that exactness is indispensable. Should any error occur in my process, by being minute, I furnish the greater facility of detecting it to those who m'neven on the mineral water may be desirous of re-examining the same subject; and the mode I adopt must be preferable, with the generality of persons, to a bare state- ment of results, without any view of the successive steps by which they were obtained. analytical examination. The gentleman, whose case follows, while residing at Schooley's Mountain, evaporated, at my request, a portion of the water according to directions I left with him for that purpose, and transmitted to me, as the residue, a brown, light powder, which weighed 16.50 grains. I subsequently procured a few bottles of the fresh water, carefully filled and corked at the spring, and tied over with wet bladder, from which I determined the proportions of its gaseous and solid contents. Examination of the gaseous constituent part. The water, as it issues from the rock, 13 nowise eparkling, it ha* »* pungency, and manifestly holds whatever gas it contains, in a state of combination. Being forced for the purpose of examining it tfcuse a water cistern, I heated this to one hundred and thirty degrees of Farenheit's thermometer, and separating, as atmospheric air, an amount equal to the capacity of that portion of the retort unoccupied by the fluid, I obtained from fifty-seven cubic inches of the mineral water, nineteen cubic inches, nearly, of a gas, the whole of which was absorb- ed by lime water; so that the mineral water yielded a little more than one third of its bulk of carbonic acid gas. of schooley's mountain. II Examination of the fixed Constituent parts. Seventy-four ounce measures slowly evaporated in a water bath, lelt a brownish extract of 4.10 grs. This gives 7.09 grs. only to the gallon. The proportion of foreign ingredients to the simple element, is, there- fore, remarkably small in this mineral water. "With the 16.50 gxs. sent me I made the following experiments. 1. I poured over the whole between two and three fluid ounces oi alcohol of the sp. gr. .847 in a close phial, and shook it repeatedly during twenty-four hours. The solvent acquired a pretty deep brown tinge and took up 4.10. 2. The remaining 12.40 grs. were treated with three fluid ounces of cold distilled water, and shaken frequently during twelve hours. The water was coloured brown, and left an extract on the filter, that, after being thoroughly dried by the heat of boiling water, weighed 4.50 grains. 3. The residue of 7.90 was boiled in 5,000 grs. of distilled water, by which it was diminished $.65 of a gr. which must have been sulphate of lime. This third solution was still of a pale brown colour, even after the separation of the selenite. All the solutions were kept separate, and the extracts dried, except in one instance, by the heat of boiling water. Examination of the Solution by Alcohol. 4. A little of the alcoholic solution was tried in a tube the eighth of an inch in diameter, with tincture of galls, as from its brown colour it might possibly contain highly oxidized sulphate of iron; but no trace was discovered of such an impregnation. The rest was slowly evapo- 2 10 m'neve.v on the mineral water rated in a water bath : Its colour turned to a deep brown, and it dried but imperfectly, although the bath was made to boil toward the 1 ist. In consequence I washed it out with alcohol, transferred it into a pla- tinum crucible, and evaporated it over the lamp. When perfectly dry its colour was black, and it was found to have lost 0.82 gr. of its weight. The brown colour of the residuum, and which tinged more or less every solution, as well as the facility with which it was charred and partly consumed, showed that it contained a considerable portion of vegetable extract. It could scarcely be otherwise with a water that strains through the decayed leaves and ligneous remains of a primeval forest. 5. This residue, on being treated with a little alcohol, left 0.40 gr. of muriate of soda, to which we should add 0.03 of a grain, water of crys- tallization, for the state in which the muriate of soda exists in the spring. 6. To the remaining 2.85, of thealcoholic extract, there were added a few drops of concentrated sulphuric acid, which immediately occa- sioned a brisk effervescence, and by putting the crucible with its con- tents over the lamp, white vapours oi muriatic acid were copiously dis- engaged. The crucible was lastly brought to a red heat to drive off any portion of uncombined sulphuric acid. The crucible was then washed out with distilled water, and the sul- phates were thrown upon a filter. There passed a solution of a bitterish taste, and a portion was retained, upon which distilled water was con- tinually dropped until it came off tasteless. The part retained was next boiled with carbonate of potassa, and filtered ; sulphate of potassa passed the filter, and carbonate of lime remained upon it, the whole of which readily dissolved in muriatic acid, and weighed, when dry, 2.35 grains. The bitterish solution was in like manner decomposed by carbonate of potass, and redissolved in muriatic acid. It yielded of muriate of of schooley's mountain. 11 magnesia half a grain. In this manner these two salts were separated from each other, and the amount of each determined as it exists in the mineral water. Examination of the Solution by cold distilled Water. 7. This was evaporated slowly in a temperature not exceeding eighty degrees of Farenheit. No pellicle or crystal formed on its surface ; its taste was insipid to the last. The extract was nearly all soluble in dilute muriatic acid. What the acid left, after being washed, was taken up by alcohol, and amounted to 0.10 gr. of extractive. To the muriatic solution, ammonia was added until it tasted alkaline ; no change appearing, the mixture was heated, but it still remained clear, and gave no sign of magnesia. On trying it, however, with oxalate ot ammonia, there ensued an immediate precipitate. Consequently the substance dissolved by the muriatic acid was carbonate of lime, and its amount was equal to 4.40 grs. Examination of the Solution by Acetic Acid. 8. The residuum, insoluble in alcohol and water, was digested in dis- tilled vinegar for twelve hours, and occasionally shaken. A little being tested in the small tube with oxalate of ammonia, it was found to hold lime, and another small portion being tried with caustic ammonia, the presence of magnesia was also proved. But these earths must have previously existed in the state of carbonates. The acetous solution evaporated to dryness, gave a whiter extract than any yet obtained. By remaining exposed to the air all night, it attracted a little moisture, corroborative of its containing acetite of magnesia. The evaporated solution weighed 6.35 grain?. It dissolved i- M'NEVEK ON THE MINERAL WATER in cold distilled water, with the exception of a minute brown sediment which dried in the water bath, weighed 0.05 of a grain. It seemed to be muriate of lime, for it was not affected by muriatic acid, but touched with concentrated sulphuric acid, it effervesced, and there remained a white smooth residue which was manifestly sulphate of lime formed in the experiment. To the aqueous solution of the acetate, there was added ammonia in excess, which occasioned a precipitate of magnesia : washed and dried it weighed 0.10 gr. Now, as in 100 parts of acetate of magnesia there are 34.04 of base,* we have this proportion ; as 34.04 : 100 :: .10 : .29, which substracted from 6.35 gives .29 acetate of magnesia, and 6.06 acetate of lime. Again, to find the base appertaining to this acetate G.06 ; say as 100 is to 34.25, the proportion of base in 100 parts acetate of lime, so is the sum 6.06 to its base 2.08.f But it is necessary to re- convert these acetates into carbonates, in which state they existed in the mineral water, and as in carbonate of magnesia the base is twenty- live per cent, we have .25 : 100 :: .10 : .404 And as the base in car- bonate of lime may be stated at fifty-eight per cent, we have 52 .• loo .-. 2.08 : 3.586; or say 3.59. Thus we find the two carbonates, that of magnesia = .40, and that of lime 3.59, both = 3.99 grains. Examination of the Solution by Muriatic Acid. 9. Dilute muriatic acid, digested on the residuum left in the last ex- periment, dissolved a portion, and a dark muddy sediment remained of a o-ritty feel. When collected and ignited on the filter it afforded 0.80 of silex. •'■ Thompson, vol. 3. p 63. 4th ed. f Thompson, ibid, p. 64. J Thompson, vol. 2. p. 650. of schooley's mountain. 13 To the filtered solution ammonia was added until it tasted alkaline. A brown precipitate ensued, which, collected and ignited, left 1.40 oxide of iron attracted by the magnet; or say 2 grains carbonated oxide of iron such as it exists in the water. The solution itself was then evaporated to dryness, and as no deliquescence appeared in the course of twelve hours, it was concluded that no alumine is contained in these waters. Extractive by exp. Muriate of Soda Muriate of Lime Muriate of Magnesia Carbonate of Lime Sulphate of Lime Uarbonate of Magnesia Silex Carbonated Oxide of Iron Loss 4) 7) 4) 8) 7) 8) summary. 0.82 0.82 £ o.ioj 2.35 £ 0.05 3 4.40 3.59 0.92 0.43 2.40 0.50 T.99 0.65 0.40 0.80 2.00 0.41 16.50 Remarks on the Medical operation of the preceding Water. The benefit which the mineral water of Schooley's Mountain afford- ed repeatedly to Mr. H*****, of this city, has contributed, most of any instance within my knowledge, to establish its efficacy, and raise its reputation. The resources it affords to medicine cannot, therefore, 14 m'neven on the mineral water be better illustrated, nor these observations more properly concluded, than by a relation of his case. Mr. H. laid the foundation of the early eminence to which he ha* arrived in the profession of the law, to a course of such severe and unremitting study, while a student of Columbia College, as none in that seminary were tempted to exceed ; and such, indeed, as no literary or professional distinctions, fascinating as are these objects, can requite any body for acquiring at the same cost of excrutiating disease. From the age of sixteen he led a remarkably studious and sedentary life, scarcely ever sparing himself time to exercise ; and this train of close application to books, and these long sittings at the desk, may altogether have filled a period of ten or a dozen years, before the disorder they brought upon him was entirely formed. Early in the year 1809 he began to feel, when lying down, a sensa- tion of heat in the region of the kidneys. It continued so for some months, was by no means painful, gave no alarm, and barely excited at- tention. But, in the course of the summer of that year, it increased so far as occasionally to make him restless in bed, without being so troublesome as to cause him to mention it to his physician. At last, one night, toward the beginning of autumn, he was attacked, a few hours before day, by a most excruciating pain in the small of the back. Finding himself almost unable to endure it, he sent for his physician, the late Doctor P. who, among other things, directed fomentations to be applied to the part. After suffering, as the patient then thought, most severely for several hours, the pain suddenly subsided ; the relief was as unexpected as the attack, but it left him extremely languid. A few days afterward the pain seized him again in the same place, and lasted many hours. Dr. P. then first expressed his apprehension that the disorder was gravel in the kidney. He opened a vein to re- lieve the present symptoms, took away blood freely, and by these mean^ of schooley's mountain. lu procured immediate ease. It was followed by the discharge of a little blood and some gravel along with the urine. For several succeeding months attacks of the complaint came on at intervals, and always with extreme pain. Lime water was now pre- scribed, and taken freely for a great length of time, during which course the patient discharged occasionally fine gravel, and once, after severe exercise, in considerable quantity mixed with blood. In the winter of 1812—13, his disorder had reached an alarming height. He had fits of it every two or three days, and sometimes twice a day. The paroxysms were in general so violent, that he involuntarily writhed in the utmost torture while they lasted. The pain had always its seat in the region of the kidneys, sometimes on one, at other times on both sides. With his worst attacks there was a total suppression of urine for twenty-four, or even forty-eight hours, without any fullness of the bladder, or inconvenience felt in that organ ; but at those times a cutting sensation was experienced along the course of the ureter, as if an angular grain of sand descended through that passage. Almost in- variably before being solaocl with a fit he found it impossible to pass water, though strongly solicited, or, at most, could pass but a few drops, and that with extreme pain. Shortly after any attack subsided the urine came off very freely. He was always cunscious of the passing of the irritating matter into the bladder. That instant the pain ceased, and shortly afterward the urine flowed without interruption. It was then frequently tinged with blood, and always more or less charged with sabulous matter. Most part of this season was passed in such suffering: medicine afford- ed no relief, and was abandoned : a temporary ease was sought for in blood letting during the paroxysm, and the almost daily use of the hot bath, heated to a degree barely tolerable. The least inconvenience of such palliatives was to leave the patient exceedingly debilitated. 16 m'neven on the mineral water During all this period, the use of acids was carefully avoided: but finding the return of the paroxysms so very frequent, and experiencing no advantage that could be ascribed to lime water, the attending physi- cian determined upon trying the effect of an opposite plan, and directed cider for the patient's drink. This course was likewise persisted in for a considerable time, though the injurious consequence of it was soon manifest and alarming. The pain was almost ceaseless, and the severer paroxysms occurred now very frequently. Under these circumstances the patient felt greatly discouraged. In him, regular habits and constant temperance seemed bereft of their usual good consequences. He was also free from any hereditary distemper, and naturally of a very robust constitution, without deriving from these things their accustomed advantages. One alleviation only accompanied his sufferings : ever since his nephritic attacks became severe and frequent, he was no longer molested by a periodical head-ach, that had afflicted him from his child- hood. Having been sufficiently admonished, by the aggravation of his com- plaint, to drop cider, he returned again 4o 4i»o u«© of lime water, and persevered in it for several months, with as little benefit as at first. At this time Dr. P. upon consulting with Dr. M. determined to change his medicine for carbonate of soda. He took this also a long while, and conjointly with it drank abundantly of supercarbonated soda water. Nevertheless, his disorder did not, at all, abate by any thing he had yet done. In the spring of 1813, he was first advised to try the mineral water of Schooley's Mountain, which was then represented to him as beneficial in cases of gravel. He went there in the course of the summer, and remained about three weeks, but did not experience any decided ad- vantage from his first visit. At the end of two weeks his urine appear- ed all of a sudden quite black, and remained dark coloured for about op schooley's mountain. 17 eight days. He has since found, during several after visits to the spring, that such a change of colour is a favourable symptom. But at that time business hurried him back too soon to the city ; it was hoped, however, that magnesia, as yet an untried remedy, might be substituted for the waters, with, at least, equal advantage. The experiment did not answer the expectation ; it must, at the same time, be acknowledg- ed, that the magnesia did not get an equally fair trial with other medi- cines far less promising. Early in the ensuing summer he again visited Schooley's Mountain. At the time of his arrival there he was extremely feeble, and three or four weeks passed over before he experienced any great mitigation of his principal complaint; but he found his strength and general health gradually to improve. In less than a month his urine began to be dis- coloured, it soon after became almost black, the waters operated as a powerful diuretic, and gradually his disorder gave way. The moment his strength would permit, by way of ascertaining the progress of his amendment, and from motives of pleasure as well as health, he began to take exercise, particularly on foot, and by labouring in the garden. All this he bore with a sensible and daily increased advantage. After a stay of three months he was able to support fatigue of every kind with- out inconvenience. He believed himself nearly, if not completely, cured, and in fact continued well for a much longer interval than upon any former occasion. The quantity which he drank of the water, was from fifteen to twenty half pint tumblers a day. He had taken it at different seasons, and ex- perienced similar effects from it, winter and summer; especially when he joined to its use exercise in the open air. But as wet and tempes- tuous weather always brought on attacks of his disorder, it was only when he had resided some weeks at the spring that he was ever proof against violent changes in the atmosphere. He finds that the beneficial 3 18 m'neven on the mineral water influence of the water is not permanent, though, indeed, the longer he drinks of it, his intervals of ease are proportionably protracted. When he returns to his professional labours in this city, to late hours of writing and study, and adds to bodily inactivity a great deal of mental exertion, or experiences from any source whatever, much anxiety of mind during the same period, the suspended assaults of his distemper are speedily renewed with no less severity than ever. As those causes must have operated against the beneficial effect of all the medicines he took at any time in town, their insufficiency in his case cannot, in fairness, be con- sidered to detract from the character they may have acquired on other occasions. The patient having convinced himself, at last, that a transi- tion from a sedentary to an active life, was the thing most important, perhaps, to his recovery, he has fixed his residence out of town, where he avails himself of the opportunity of exercise afforded by a garden of considerable extent, and a long walk daily to and from his office. In this rural retreat for bodily exercise, and mental relaxation, and from which all books and papers are scrupulously excluded, Mr. H. drinks ad libitum, of a carbonated chalybeate whi^h T direrted to be prepared for him. It is made in a strong iron bound vessel containing several gallons of pure water, into which there are introduced a few coils of clean iron wire. Carbonic acid gas is then propelled through the water by means of a forcing pump, after the manner employed in the manu- facture of soda water. This artificial chalybeate contains, it is true, much more carbonic acid gas than the natural chalybeate of Schooley's Mountain. The difference, however, renders the artificial more palat- able, and to him not less efficacious, than the natural water. It has already produced the same sensible effects. It equally blackened the urine, increased its quantity, and in other respects the patient ex- perienced the same relief from it as from the water of the spring. of schooley's mountain. 19 It will be remarked, that when Mr. H. first visited the spring, he was there three weeks without experiencing any material alleviation of his disorder; the cause of which seems to be, that he was then too weak to go much abroad, so as to unite exercise with the use of the water, and that his stay there was too short. But that sort of change had already commenced, which many subsequent instances showed to be immediate precursors of a solution of the existing morbid state. It appears, from the history of the case, that collections of sabulous matter take place in the patient's kidneys during any considerable inter- ruption of the chalybeate, especially if, at the same time, he applies himself closely to his professional avocations. It is equally established, that the chalybeate acts upon the sabulous matter ; for this is, at length, evacuated along with the urine which it blackens, and the dark colour, as well as the discharge of sand, continues more or less, according as the previous disuse of the water has been longer or shorter. If, after this, the mineral water be persevered in, it prevents the forma- tion of any new concretions, for the discharge of the dark sediment ceases, the urine returns to its natural colour, and there is no new ne- phritic symptom. Such is the course invariably experienced by the patient at the spring, where air and exercise, and a vacant mind go hand in hand, with the drinking of the chalybeate : but in the city where, in spigkttof the physician's remonstrances, profitable business occasionally forces him to longer sittings, greater application, and stronger exertions than are compatible with the delicacy of his health, he still has an attack at dis- tant intervals, though comparatively so slight, that it scarcely deters him from the indulgence of books and study. A speech of two or three hours in court, or any vehement affection of mind, will bring on a paroxysm as readily as would a thorough wetting, or a fortnight's con- finement. !0 m'nevfn on the mineral water This seems to be one of those cases that proves the superior efficacy of air and exercise, and moral treatment, in a chronic disease, to any other remedy whatever. Even the salutary effects of that medicine which proved most beneficial, must appear to have been derived, in a very subordinate degree, from its purely medical qualities. I adminis- tered carbonate of iron, combined with large dilution, to the patient, during his sedentary period, without warding off, or apparently miti- gating his complaint; but, at this very interval, a visit to his father's farm on Long Island, and leading there a farmer's life for some weeks, was followed by a remission of his disorder. Nevertheless, to the iron contained in the Schooley Mountain water, must be ascribed some portion of the relief procured. When the chalybeate is drank for some days after the worst attacks, it evidently effects a change in the state of the kidneys, and in particular, appears to find there, and to combine with, a portion of sulphur, with which it forms a sulphuret, distinguishable by its black colour. This unusual quantity of sulphur in the urine seems to be connected with the morbid condition of the kidneys, for its evacuation is a sure precursor of amendment, and during the further continuance of the water, the accumulation of gravel and sulphur is, if not altogether, at least very much lessened. The calculous affection of this patient was constantly aggravated by acescent-food and acid drinks, and therefore appears to be owing to a deposition of uric acid, which admits of being precipitated within the body by the superior affinity of a stronger acid for its base. One cause, undoubtedly, of his being better of late, is the careful avoidance of every acid drink. Another property of the Schooley Mountain water is, that the carbonic acid it holds is altogether in a state of combination, and this accounts for its never occasioning flatulence, or spasm, in the weakest stomach, at the same time that it gradually strengthens the digestive of schooley's mountain. 21 powers like other chalybeates. The mineral waters of Vichy, in France, are a hot chalybeate, and do excellent service in nephritic complaints. The waters of Cheltenham and Scarborough, in England, in addition to iron, contain a considerable portion of sulphate of soda, which helps to render them diuretic, as well as purgative, and eminently serviceable in dyspepsia. I have also combined occasionally with the artificial chaly- beate prepared for Mr. H. a dose of Glauber. A half tumbler of the solution of this salt, is filled up from the fountain containing the chalybeate : by the use of this he has the advantage of increasing the quantity of urine, correcting the habitual tendency to costiveness, and increasing, upon the whole, the good effects of the water. Owing to a variety of provoking accidents, I have not been able, as yet, to make any analysis of the matter discharged ; frequently, what had been collected for a few days, at my earnest solicitation, was then thrown away, through the effect of a preposterous cleanliness, or an incurious neglect. New-York, July, 1815. :s Mexi Hist. VII H10 irWblc. *«&** "1