UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WASHINGTON, D. C. GPO 16—67244-1 DISSERTATION ON THE MINERAL WATERS o f SARATOGA; CONTAINING, A TOPOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY, AND TB$ SITUATION OF THE SEVERAL SPRINGS ; AN ANALYSIS OF ^TlVF P/T>- THE WATERS, AS MADE UPON THE SPOT, TOGETHER WITH REMARKS'ON THEIR USE IN MEDICINE, AND A CONJECTURE RESPECTING THEIR NATURAL MODE OF FORMATION; />G / / / * ^-i ALSO, fe / >> TOGETHER t'-\±-'l~' ^' mine,- A^yr l \ A METHOD OF MAKING AN ARTIFICIAL MINI RAL WATER, RESEMBLING THAT OF SA- RATOGA, BOTH IN.SENSIBLF QUAL- ITIES AND IN MEDICINAL VIRTUE^ By VALENTINE SEAMAN, ikf. > *« # Phyfician in the City of New York. ^^_*r ...<..<..<..<.<..<..<..<...<..<..<..< •<..<..<..<4.^^^>..>..>..>..>..>..>..>,..>..>..>..>.>..>.>.>- j. ■ " In all ages, good Phyficians, defirous of efiiablifihing >0 f^f Salutary art, on a firm foundation, have confidered % incumbent on them, to fubmit to chemical analyfts, fuch • Waters as were famous for the cure of any Difeafe." BERGMAN. N E W-Y O R K: Printed bt Samuel Campbell, No. 37, Hanover-Square, M,DCC,XCIII. T O ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON, CHANCEL LOR of the State of New-York, President of the Society, inftituted in the State of New-York, for the promotion of Agriculture, Arts, Manufactures, &c NOTHING lefs than a belief of the indulgent difpofition fo notedly predominant in great minds, could have prevailed with me to fubmit the following difTertation to thy perufal, which I was the more defirous of doing, from the benevolent manner in which thou haft employed thy great talents, in the promotion of ufeful knowledge— pointing thee out as the proper Patron of an at- tempt, whofe object, is the general good, and which, from its being the firft production of the kind, that has yet appeared in the ftate, if it can- not more juftly claim, at leaft is in the more need of protection. With a defire that thy labours may continue to merit the thanks of thy countrymen, and that thou mayeft increafe in utility, as thou advanced in years ; I remain, with due refpect, and efteeem— thy friend, VALENTINE SEAMAN, ift. Mo. ift, 1793. Mllr*. ; If. .-■■*.. ' INTRODUCTION. IT is juftly expected of every phyfician, that at leaft, he will enquire into the virtues of fuch fubftances, as fhall offer themfelves to his obfer- vation, fuppofed to poflefs active medicinal qual- ities: for 'c The Lord hath created medicines out of the earth; and he that is wife will not abhor them*". And as there ftill remain difeafes, which dare raife up their reproachful heads, in obftinate defiance of our art, it is more efpecially our duty to fearch out weapons for their deftructicn : for it is not confident with our ideas of thegoodnefsof the Deity, to fuppofe that he would have permitted the favourites of his creation to be inflicted with difeafes, without having formed remedies for their relief: but for thefe, as for relief from fpiritual evils—we mvflfeek, and vie fhall find; and as in the latter cafe, we are directed to the almighty ation and chrealization—that of their fixed principles. A DISSERTATION ON THE MINERAL WATERS O F A topographical defcription of the country, andfitu- atiort of the fever al fprings. THESE fprings are fituated on the wefterly fide of a valley, which lies about twelve miles weft of the conflux of Fifh-Creek, with the North River*, in the county of Saratoga, and ftate of New-York. This valley, at leaft the part of it where the fprings rife, runs a northerly and foutherly courfe, and appears to have been form- ed by a branch of the Kayadoroferes river ; which flows through the middle of it. The high ground that forms the wefterly bank of the valley, and which appears to fupply the waters of thefe fprings, which are fituated at its foot, is compofed, almoft entirely, of calcaneus rocks, whofe * Which is about two hundred miles above the city of New-York. f 2 ON THE WATERS whofe furface, however, is moftly overfpread with a find and clayey foil, and covered with tall pines and oaks : there are feveral deep fubteria- neous caverns obferved in it, which open but a fn all diftancefrom where the declivity commenc- es. The bank on the eafterly fide appears almoft entirely fand, with not the leaft veftige of calca- neus earth, and is a perfect pine plane. The caufe of this fudden change of foil, which however, is not peculiar to this place alone*, and alfo of the river's making its way, at this particu- * lar juncture-—I leave to the fpeculation of the na- turaljft to determine, a mere knowledge of their exiftence and fituation being all that is neceflary, either as to their affording us an afliftant means , for afcertaining the nature of the mineral waters, m .their neighbourhood, or as enabling us to ac- count for the prefence of ingredients we may find m them. About four miles weft of thefe fprings, I am informed there is a ftrong fcented fulphuri- ous fpring. The fprings are eight or ten in number, and all are within the fpace of about half a-mile; the one which has particularly attraded the atten- tion of the curious, and which is moftly drank by valetudinarians, rifes about midway between the others; it is entirely furrounded by a rock of a conical fhape, which is about five feet high, * a an(* As Hempftead pkins on Long-Iflat.d and its contiguoug toil is a remarkable uiltamje. * OF SARATOGA. *3 and whofe bafe is about nine feet in diameter ; it has a circular hole, in its apex, of near ten inches acrofs, which is the opening of its inner cavity in which the water rifes to within about two feet of its top. This cavity, like the outfide of the rock, enlarges, as it defcends. The furface of this rock is of a brownifh colour, and appears compact and polifhed, it has a check in one fide of it,* which is fuppofed to defcend internally and form fome vent below the furface of the ground, by which the water makes its way out, as it has not been known to overflow for feveral years paft. The crack is believed to have been pro- duced by the fall of a tree oyer the fpring; and the remains of the upper part of one which lies in the marfh below, and whofe body is directed immediately towards it, renders this opinion ve- ry probable, fince its fize and fituation prove that it muft have flood on the oppofite fide of the rock; indeed I am informed, by a man of that country, that he very well recollects when the tree flood there, and that then the water overflowed the rock : another perfon informed me, that he knew it to overflow in the time of the late war. These waters naturally depofit a petrefactive matter where they flow; thereby forming to themfelves, a barrier of defence againft the intru- fion of heterogeneous fubftances: the reafon why the rock fpring (as the onejuft defcribedis called) in particular has fu.ro mded itfelf by fuch a regu- I4 ON THE WATERS lar formed pyramidial mafs—I take to be owing to its natural fituation rendering it more inaccef- fible to the animals, that may have reforted here ■ for the waters, (which they appear to be very fond of, as well as of licking fubftances'about ihe fprings, on account of their faline impregnation,) whence is has, perhaps, during the courie of ages, been permitted, unmoleftedly, to precipitate par- ticles upon particles of its ftony matter, till final- ly, it has attained its prefent appearance, while a Spring, afmall diftance from it, which, (from its fupplying the waters that are continually convey- ed from it, by a little wooden gutter, fixed for that purpofe, into the bathing tub; which is fitu- ated in a log inclofure, juft below it in the marfh) is called the bathing fpring; which, notwithftandr ing it has afforded a much greater quantity of this petrefactive depofirion, fo as to form an irregular r«"ck, of about twenty one feet in diameter, around itfelf, by being more eafily come at, has had- its tender layers trodden down continually, -as they farmed, before they could affume any regular ihape. The. ftony matter of thefe fprings, by calcina? lion, forms 'quicklime. A piece of it, put into vitriolic acid, caufed a great efTervel'cence, and formed a felenites, or pla/ler of Paris, and alfo aVmall portion of alhm, proved, by the folutions depofiting a cloudy fedi- ment, by pairing vohtik alkaline gas through it ; and OF SARATOGA. 15 and alfo martial vitriol, whence it afiumed a beau- tiful blue colour, by the addition of lime -veaier fa- turated with Prufian blue : hence the petrefactions muft be compofed of an argillo calcarious earth and iron ; to this laft is owing the redifh colour, with which great part of it is tinged. Having fettled thefe preliminaries; I proceed more particularly to enquire into THE NATURE OF THE WATERS. Firft. Of their phyfical properties. I. THESE waters, in general, appear nearly tranfparent, yet none of them are perfectly fo, excepting that which rifes up in a barrel, which the neighbours have fixed for the purpofe of col- lecting it, and is called the barrel fpring ; they are colourlefs, and emit a great quantity of air by agitation, even by Handing ftill in an open vef- fel, it almoft immediately forms bubbles around its infide, which foon rife up and are difcharged. The veflel ufed to dip the water out of the rock, and alfo the bathing tub, foon gather an ocjhery crufl upon their inner furfaces. Where- ever thefe waters ftagnate, around the fprings, befides depofiting the ftony matter before menti- oned, they alfo foon become covered with a pellicle of a metallic fplendour, reflecting variegated colours. 11. They diftufe a fubtle penetrating odour, which I 6 ON THE WATERS which is moft particularly experienced by breath- ing in the orifice of the rock. III. When drank, their firft impreflion on the palate, is agreeably accfcent, fucceed by a naufe- ous faline tafte ; they afterwards give up acefcent eructations, like fermented liquors, and which are no ways unpleafant. IV. The hydrometer Hands at the fame height in thefe, as in fnow water. V. Notwithstanding the difcharge of air from thefe waters, makes them appear to be in a continued ebulition, yet they are cold, the tem- perature, however, is not the fame in all the fprings ; but feems to diminiih in proportion to their brifknefs, thus the bathing fpring and the barrel, each of which difcharges about twenty gallons in an hour, which is much more than the reft do, lowered Fatherinheits thermometre from 72°, the heat of the atmofphere, to 52°, while in the others it flood at 560 and 58°, but in the rock water, which runs very flowly, it remained at 67 °. VI. By the application of a gentle heat, thefe waters difcharge a great quantity of air in bub- bles ; it is upon this property, that their ufe in railing bread depends, and for which purpofe they are carried away in confiderable quantities, daily, even fometimes to eight or ten miles diftance ; all that is neceffary being merely to make the dough, with flour and this water alone, and it is imme- diately ready to put in the oven. II. EX- OF SARATOGA. 17 II. EXPERIMENTS UPON THE AIR. I. A lighted candle let down in the crater of the rock, was immediately extinguifhed, both blaze and wick, before it came within a foot of the furface of the water: the air obtained by agi- tating the water of this, as well as of the other fprings, w7as equally incapable of fupporting com- buftion, as was alfo that collected from the bub- ' bles, that were continually difcharging from the different fprings. II. A chicken being immerfed in this air, expired in three minutes. A kitten confined in it for one and a half minutes, appeared very flaccid and al- moft dead; yet, on being brought out, into free atmofpheric air, its fleeting life was foon recalled through the medium of violent convulfions ; be- ing again put into the noxious gas, in fourteen; minutes it was irrecoverably dead. III. The air being made to p'afs through lime-ivaler immediately rendered it very turbid. IV. It rendered a diluted tinclure of turnfol oi a red tinge, by palling through it. From the phyfical qualities mentioned., and from the above experiments, we may fafely.con- clude, that this air is the. true fpiritus miner alis of Hoffman, the carbonic acid gas of the French che- mifts, the ccrial acid of Bergman, the fixed air of Prieftly and Black, the cretacious acid of Four- C croy, 18 ON the waters croy, and what is generally known with the mi- ners, by the name of choak damp; it is fimilar to the noxious gas, which rii'cs up to the height of feveral inches, in the famous grotto del cani in Italy j this cave having received its name from its fatality to dogs: they, from carrying their heads below the furface of this ftratum of air, be. ing the animals which are generally fubmitted to experiment, to fatisfy travellers of its delete- rious effects. It is this air which is fo plentifully given out, during the fpirituous fermentation, and is what gives that brifknefs to porter, and other malt liquors. Being united with the vegetable alkali, it forms our common potafh—hence the reafon why our good houfewives are enabled, any time, at half an hour's warning, to furnifh us with a well raifed cake, merely by mixing up the fl jur with a fjlution of potafh and four milk ; here the acid of the milk, from a greater attrac- tion, joins itfelftothe alkali, while the aeriform acid being fet at liberty, and aiTifted by the expanfive power of heat, penetrates and puffs up every particle of the dough. It is this air alfo, which conftitutes the difference between quick- lime and chalk or limeftone, its difcharo-e is the effect of their calcination. III. TEE OF SARATOGA. IQ III. THE EFFECTS OF REAGENTS UP- ON THE WATERS. I. The rock water had a little of the tinclure of turnfol dropped into it, which immediately gave it a reddifjj tinge. II. The infufion of our common blue lark- fpur* was not changed by it. • III. In lime-water, it inftantly induced a mil- ky turbidnefs, followed by a depofition of white powder. IV. Ttndure of galls rendered it purple\. V. Prvjlan lime-water produced no change in it. VI. A solution of pure vegetable alkali, pro- duced a turbidnefs in it. VII. It was alfo made turbid by crated vegita- ble alkali.' VIII. Caustic * The infufion of blue lark-fpur, I have found to be a molt accurate teil for difcovering the prefence of the fmalleil quantity, of either uneombined alkalies, or fixed acids. f It has been obferved, that notwithftanding this ivater mixes with gin, without difcoloration ; yet it will not m'ake grocr : for immediately upon pouring in the fpirits, it become* blackifh. This, though unaccountable to many, is no mote than what every chemill would expect, when he confiders that from the oak calks in which fpirits is kept, it generally be- comes a true tindhire, of a vegetable aftringent. 20 ON THE WATERS VIII. Caustic volatile alkali, forms a cloudi- nefs in it ; yielding a white precipitate. IX. Vitriolic acid^ dropped into the* water, caufed a great effervefcence, and a little tur- bidnefs. * X. After vitriolic acid had been dropped ill the water, it then became blue by Prufian lime- water*. Xf. Nitrated filver formed an immediate copi- ous white curdled precipitate; this, as alfo the water itfelf, foon aflumed a dirty blitifh colour. XII. Nitrated mercury produced a copious yellowjfh precipitate. XIII. Acid of fugar, occafions a cloudinefs, which foon falls down in a white precipitate. XIV. Acetated lead, produced a copious white, but not granulated precipitate. Most of thefe experiments were frequently re- peated, and with fimilar refults. The waters of the other fprings exhibited the fame appearances, with the above reagents, as the rock water, excepting that of the bathing fpring and of the barrel's fhewing a deeper purple tinge with tindure of galls. The water being boiled, discharged a great quantity of air, formed a pellicle on its furface, and depofited a white powder. It afterwards had * This experiment, which is an original one, mews by what method we may deled aerated iron, by the Prufian lime-water* and tends to confirm the experiment with tinft. of galls. of s a r a t o g a. 21 had not that brifk accidulous tafte, as before, but was extremely naufeous ; it was not reddened by tindure of turvfol, nor rendered purple by tinc- ture of galls; with infufion of lark-fpur, it became green: it ftill precipitated lime-water, though not fo plentifully as before, and alfo effervefced flightly, with vitriolic acid ; but was not made turbid thereby. Acid offugar did not induce a turbidnefs, its appearance was not altered by the cauflic vegetable nor volatile alkalies, nor by the eerated vegetable alkali. From thefe experiments, I conclude, that thefe waters contain, I. An uncombined ACID, whereby they become red by tincture of turnful, and that this cannot be a fixed acid, fince it does not redden infufion pf lark-fpur, and is evaporated by boiling ; for af- terwards the water does not change tincture of turnfol; therefore it muft be the cretacious acid, the fame as has been heretofore proved to be con- tinually difcharging from them, in large quanti- ties : it is from the prefence of this, that lime- water becomes fo very turbid; for with lime it forms an infoluble compound. II. IRON.—Hence it takes a purple tinge, with tincture of galls, and alfo, when pieviouny joined with vitriolic acid, becomes blue, with Prufian lime-water, and that the iron is not kept in folution, by the vitriolic acid, or it would have become 22 O N T II E V. A T E R S become blue by this teft, before the acid was united with it; but by the cretacious acid, fince after being boiled, this water is no more difcolour- ed, by tinclure of galls. III. AojJANTiTYof LIME heldinfolutianbythe cretacious acid; for notwitftanding lime, as above obferved, is rendered infoluble by uniting with the cretacious acid, yet it is otherwife when fu- perfaturated therewith ; for then it is, to the con- trary, much more foluble : hence the caufe of a precipitation, by the cauftic vegetable, and vola- tile alkalies. They, from their affinity to the acid, deprive the lime of its fuperabundance, and per- mit it to fall down m a white powder. The vi- triolic acid, on the contrary, attracts the lime, and forms a gypfeous depofition, while the cretacious acid flies off in a great efferveicence. The acid of fugar, alfo, evinces the prefence of lime, by uniting and forming an infoluble compound with it. Thefe tefts did not exhibit the fame ap- pearances with the water, after ebulition: hence the pellicle and depofition formed, during that procefs, I take to be calcarious earth and iron. IV. A MURIATIC ACID. Hence with ni- trated filver it forms a fudden, cafeous precipi- tate, and alfo a precipitate with nitrated mercury; this laft precipitate on being fubhmed, afforded corrofllve fublimate. V. A NEUTRAL SALT. Since they have been ( ofsaratoga. 23 been proved by the two laft mentioned experi- ments, to contain a marine acid, and by fome of the previous ones, that this cannot exift in a fepe- rate ftate; therefore it muft be united either with an earth, or an alkali, and as a cretacious alkali will be fliewn to be prefent in the Water, it is evi- dent that it muft be joined with the latter ; fince alkalies have a greater attraction for acids, than earths have. VI. A CRETACIOUS ALKALI,whereby,after the water has been boiled, it renders the infufion of lark-fpur green, and effervefces with vitriolic acid; this may alfo be the caufe why lime-water is ftill precipitated by it. Here the cretacious acid quits the alkali, to unite with its more ar>* trading lime, forming therewith, as abovemen- tioned, an infoluble compound. The reafon why the water did not change the infufion of lark- fpur, before it had been boiled, muft be owing to the alkali's being fuperfaturated with the creta- cious acid, in which cafe, as I proved by an expe- riment made for that purpofe, it may exift in a confiderable quantity in a water, without chang- ing vegetable blues. VII. A slight impregnation of SULPHUR, thereby darkening the nitrated filver; this is what might reafonably be expected, as within about four miles there is a proper ftrong fcented fulphu- rious fpring. The 24 ON THE WATERS The laft mentioned experiment, on the waters, previous to ebulition, (fee p. 10.) proves, by the precipitate's not appearing granulated, that vitri- olic acid does hot exift in thefe waters, either in a fimple or combined ftate. The prefence of anuncombined alkali, (if we may ftill be permitted to call serated alkali's fo) as proved, by the boiled water's rendering infu- fion of lark-fpur green, clearly proves the non- exiftence of any earthy or metallic falts in this water ; fince the alkali, from its fuperior attrac- tion to acids, muft entirely prevent their forma- tion. From the above effects of reagents, it appears,' that the waters contain Cretacious acid, iErated iron, Lime, fuperfaturated with cretacious acid/ A muriatic neutral fait, A cretacious alkali, and a Sulphurious impregnation. The proportion of each of the above ingredi- ents, and the nature of the bafe of the neutral,' and the fpecies of the cretacious alkali, yet re- main unknown ; I therefore proceeded, by the more tedious proceffesof diftillation, evaporation, and chryftalization, to afcertain thefe points. IV. DI3- O F S A R X T O G A. 25 IV. DISTILLATION. From the experiments of Bergman, it appears that water is capable of abforbing about equal its bulk of cretacious acid, at the temperatuie of 550, and proportionally lefs as its temperature is increafed. Now, as before obferved, rhe bubbles .of this acid, are continually palling through rl e waters, under examination, it is therefore ck;-r that they muft be fully faturated with it, and -is their temperature is higher than that at which wa- ter will retain its equal bulk, we are obliged to conclude, that it does not contain quite fo much ; but from the following experiment I doubt whe- ther it lacks much of it. By the means of a florence fkifk, with a fyphon properly affixed to it and the application of heat, I collected, from a given quantity of this water? in a glafs vefiel that had been previcuily filled with, and inverted in hot water, upwards of its bulk of aerial fluid, the greater part of which I take to be the abovementioned acid j the refL perhaps, partly atmofpheric mephites, and partly vital air. That the .water contains this laft, is proved, by its depofiting an ochery fubftance, after having fome green vitriol diffolved in it, in a well corked viol. D V. EVA- 2.6 O N ' T H E W A T E R S V. EVAPORATION. After evaporating ten pounds of the water of the.rock, in glafs veflels, by the heat of a water bath, I obtained a brovvnifh coloured refidue, which when dried, weighed 6 drachms, 2 fcruples, 3 grains; this refidum was put into four times its weight of fpirits of wine* and after Handing a confiderable time, being frequently agitated; was filtered arid dried, and was found to have loft about 17 grs. which proved to be common fait; for by evaporating the fpirits, I obtained it in regular cubic chryftals. This circumftance of fpirits of wine diflblving a portion of marine fait, 1 take to be owing to its not being fo highly rec- tified, as it ought to be: for when perfectly pure, it will only take up falited lime, and falited mag- nefia, nitrated lime, and nitratedmagnefia, and fa- lited terra ponderofa^ but when fomewhat diluted, it will, befide thefe falts, alfo take up others: but, however, as by evaporation I obtained nothing but cubic chryftals, I now conclude, pofitively, what in fact was before proved by reagents, that there are none of the above mentioned earthy falts in thefe waters. *■ I now immerfed the refidum in 8 oz. of cold diflilled veater, which, after remaining feveral hours, and being frequently agitated, v/as filter- ed ; the infoluble refidue being dried and weigh- ed, O F S A R A T O G A« 27 ed, was found to have ift, 3 drachms, 2 ^t.gis ; this watery folution, by turning the infuficii of larkfpur green, is proved to contain an uncom- bined alkali. Experiments before made, fhew that thefe waters contain the muriatic acid, and as the mutual attraction, between.an acid and-.in alkali, will not permit them to remain in compa- n-' wuh eachoiher, particularly vheu fumxmded by their conjuctive agent, water : without unit- ing, therefore, we muft again fuppofe this acid to be in combination, and indeed its nor rendering the infufion cf larkfpur red, decided!y forbids any other conclufion. This folution of a muriatic neutral fait and an alkali, I fubmitted to the heat of the fun, where- by, after great part of the water was evaporated, fome cubical chryftals appeared to form upon its furface, but which were foon difturbed, by irre- gular f dine concretions. Having afcertained the prefence of a muriatic neutral fait', and an uncombined alkali ; but not knowing decidedly, "either the fpecies of the al- kali, or the bafe of the neutral fait; I therefore made a faturated folution of this mixed fait, and added thereto, acid of tartar, and no precipita- tion taking place, I concluded that no vegetable alkali can be prefent, or it would have fallen down in the form of cremor tartar ; therefore, the err cited alkali muft be of the mineral kind, and 28 CNTHI WATERS and the bafe of the neutral, muft be the fame, which, with its acid, forms our common feafalt. To find the proportion of the marine fait and the alkali, I diftblved the mixed fait in water and added diflilled vinegar thereto, until I brought it to the exact point of faturation: I then fatu- rated an equal quantity of diflilled vinegar, with mineral alkali, for which purpofe it required 26 grains, whence it appears, that ten pounds of this mineral water contains 26 grs. of mineral alkali, the remainder, 156 grs. muft be common fait, which added to the 17 grs diftblved in the fpirits of wine, makes ten pounds of the water contain 173 grs. The remaining 3 drachms, 1 fcruple, 4 grains, I expofed to the fun, for feveral weeks, moiften- ing it frequently with rain water ; this was done, in order to ruft the iron, fo as to make it infolu- ble in diflilled vinegar; in which this refidue was afterwards digefted and filtered. The filtered li- quor was then evaporated, and what was left, was re-diftblved, in vitriolic acid, with which it formed 2igypfum, but no bitter fait; hence, as there was but about 12 or 14 grs. remaining on the fillet, it appears that ten pounds of this water contains 3 drachms, 10 grs. of csrated lime—but no mag- nefia. The fubftance remaining on the filter, by be- ing diftblved in vitriolic acid, afforded 8 and 1-2 grs. OF SARATOGA. 29 grs. of iron, precipitated in form of Prufian blue, by the Prufian lime-water. It appears, from a review of thefe experiments that a quart of this water muil contain, Cretacious acid, about 40 cubic inches, Mineral alkali, 5. ?- grs. Common marine fait, 34.6 iErated lime, 38.0 iErated iron. 1.7. BARKER'S SPRINGS. THE mineral waters that have been already noticed, are not the only one's in the coun- ty of Saratoga. About three miles below the junction of Fiih-Creek with the North River, and about two miles weft of the bitter, in a hollow belonging to, and immediately back of the dwell- ing houfc of, Iftlliam Barker, are feveral mineral fprings, the waters of which, both by their fenfi- ble qualities, and by the operation of reagents, ap- pear to be very fimilar to thofe heretofore men- tioned. They do not, however, depofit the fto- ny matter, as the others do, nor do they in other refpects, appear to be [o ftrongly impregnated with mineral fubftances. 30 ON THS WATERS They are fituated in a clayey foil, with no ap- pearance of lime-ftone in their neighbourhood. The land is covered with beach and oak tiees. The air which bubbles up in thefe fprings, by the experiments formerly mentioned ; appears to be the fame cretacious acid as is discharged from the other fprings, it equally extinguifhes fame, render lime water turbid, &c. The water is alfo proved to contain the fame air in its compofition, not only by the experi- ments as made at the other fprings ; but alfo by its not being able to fupport animal life. A fiffj in two and a half minutes died in it. IRON appears to exift in thefe waters,, by their becoming tinged, though flightly with tindure of galls ; and it muft be aerated ; fince this property no longer continues after the water has been boiled. LIME rendered foluble by a fuperabundance of cretacious acid; was detected in thefe, by the fame means as were ufed with the other waters. They contain aerated ALKALI,therefore after being boiled they ftill effervefce with vitriolic acid. A MUPJATIC ACID is proved to exift in them, by the nitrated filver^ and nitrated mercury ; and it muft be in combination; thereby forming a neutral fait, whofe bafe, though not fully ascer- tained, isprefumed from its tafte, and the great fi- milarity there is between thefe and the other wa- ter*., OF SARATOGA. 3! ters, to be of the mineral kind; therefore the neutral I believe tobcfeafalt. Besides thefe acefcent fprings there is alfo an- other in the fame hollow ; about a Hones throw diftance from them, which is entirely of a differ- ent nature, and from its fmelling like the wafhings of a gun-barrel, has gained the name of the gun- powder fpring. The water is tranfparent: its temperature 580 ; hfmells and tafieslike fulphur, or rather liver of fulphur ; by boiling it loofes both its difagreeable fmell and tafte. The air difcharged from it by boiling, being made to pafs through lime water; produced no turbidnefs hence they contain no free aerial acid. This water is not difcoloured either by tindure of galls or Pruffian lime water. With nitrated mercury it forms a precipitate. With nitrated Jiher it alfo forms a precipi- tate ; which as well as the water direaiy affumes a dark purpleijh brown colour: this precipitate is fufpected to arife from a marine acid, and the dark colour from hepatic orfulphuriousgas. Vitriolic acid, produces an effervefcence, this muft be owing to the prefence of a cretacious alkali, it alfo rendered lime water turbid; this muft be from the fame caufe, hence the above- menti ned muriatic acid muft be in combination, in form of a neutral fait. Of 32 O :»r THE W A T E" K S Of* the MEDICAL VIRTUES of the WA- TERS of SARATOGA. Notwithftanding thefe waters, when properly applied may be ufeful in many complaints; yet as is generally the cafe with medicines that get into practice, and gain a degree of reputation, before their real qualities are known ; they are ufed too indiscriminately for the cure of almoft every dif- eafe, even thofe of a directly oppofite nature, thus we find intermittents, pleurifles, dropfies, manias, &-c. all equally apply here for. help, and what is ftill more extraordinary, while I was at the fprings I faw a perfon there who had come upwards of three hundred miles, to drink the waters for the cure of a fiflula lachrymalis. These waters may be taken in very large quan- tities into the ftomach without producing any un- eafinefs or weight, excepting fometimes in deli- cate ftomachs, they caufe a fenfe of coldnefs and fometimes proves emetic : fome perfons will drink feveral quarts within half an hour, without any inconvenience, in which cafe they generally ope- rate two or three times by ftool, and very copi- ouily by urine ; they at the fame time frequently produce a gentle diaphorefis ; they more particu- larly act upon thefe two laft excreories, when tak- en in fmall dofes as from half a pint to a pint, and repeated four or five times in the courfe of the OF SARATOGA. 33 the day ; in fome perfons thefe waters induce a degree of inebriety fimilar te wine : they general- ly increafe the appetite. It is much to be regretted, that there does not fome perfon properly qualified refide at thefe fprings; who would keep aregifter of the complaints of thofe who apply there for relief; and the effects of the waters upon them : the want of this oblig- es us to eftablifh their virtues, from the known effects of the ingredients of their compofition, which are now afcertained ; aflifted by the inac- curate accounts of the neighbours. From the great relief that Benjamin Colburn firft received by the ufe of an alkaline water, fuper- faturated with cretacious acid, and whichafterwards proved equally ferviceable to his fellow-fufferers, with flone and gravely complaints ; and alfo from the experience of Dr. Falconer in confirming the fame*, I have not the leaft doubt but that thefe waters may be ufed with advantage in thefe complaints; fince they are proved to contain a fu-, perfaturated aerated alkali, and alfo as they are found to operate very quickly and powerfully on the urinary paffages; indeedtheneighbours report of its ufe in fuch cafes, confirms this opinion. The cretacious acid is proved by the experi- mentsofDR.DoBSON,tobeapowerfulftimulantand antifceptic, and in thefe waters its being conjoin- ed with a chalybeate; I fully believe according to the accounts of the neighbours, and perfons who E had * See Falconer's appendix to Dobfon's commentary on fix- ed air. 34 ON THE 'WATERS had experienced relief from thofe complaints, that they n ay be very ferviceable in chronic rheuma- tifmsy dyfpepfiia, and fome other long Handing com- plaints of debility : and alfo in old phagedenic ulcers and fcorbutic complaints. From their conjoined effects of purgative anti- fcptic and tonic qualities; they appear to be pro- perly formed for the cure of the dyfentery: a per- Ton at the fprings, was ufing them for this com- plaint while I was there, he informed me that they formerly cured him of it. Cutanious Eruptions, frequently prove very obftinate difeafes; therefore are found in great plenty at thefe fprings, and I am happy to add, that they have generally difappeared by the tffe of the waters: for this purpofe they muft be ufed externally, as well as internally. We need not be furprifed that thefe waters are fo ve- ry ufefu| in fuch complaints, fince from their proving gently diaphoretic, and alfo by the bath- ings keeping the fkin clean and moift, in con- junction with the fulphurious impregnation, prov- ed to exift in them ; they appear to be extremely well calculated for that purpofe*. I have never heard of the effects of thefe wa- ters in fcrophula ; (or kings evil) but as they con- tain fea-falt, and as they appear from increafing the different excretions to act particularly on the glandular fyftem; and as they alfo prove a hamu- lus * I am told that during the late war, while the troops lay at Saratoga, many of them were affefttd with the itch and were fent off in companies to thefe fprings j by which they were all cured. OF SARATOGA. 35 lus and tonic to the fyftem at large. I think them well deferving a trial in this difeafe. Their ufe in hypochondriases and other nervous affedions, which 'are difeafes generally arifing from the indolence and luxury of a city life ; and confequently a confiderable diftance from the fprings, perhaps depend in a great degree upon the amufing lCenes, morefimple food and conftant ex- ercife, which are unavoidably connected with a long journey ; and if any advantage is gained in eonfumptions from their ufe, I rather fuppofe it owing to the fame circumftances connected there- with; fince fixed air, which feems to be the predom- inant agent in the operationof thefe waters, has, by thofe who have made experiments thereon, gene- rally been found prejudicial in thefe complaints, in fact the common report is, that thefe waters are prejudicial in phtbifical complaints. These waters have alfo been in repute for the cure of Dropfy, and from their poffefling fuch a conjoined ftimulant, and evacuative quality as al- ready mentioned; it appears very probable that they may promote the abforption of the fluid in the cavities of the human body ; and carry it en- tirely out of the fyftem, There are likewife very Satisfactory accounts ofparalitic affections, havingbeen cured or at leaft confiderably relieved, by the inward and outward ufe of thefe mineral waters. It has likewife been related, upon undoubted teftimony, that fevers and agues or intermittents have frequently been cured by them. All 36 ON THE WATERS All thefe obfervations apply particularly to the afidulous fprings. The fulphur water, I ima- gine may be more ufefully applied in cutanious eruptions^ particularly the itch ; however I believe no trials have yet been made with it in any complaint. A CONJECTURE UPON THE MANNER OF THE NATURAL FORMATION OF THESE WATERS. The manner by which thefe waters become charged with their iron, lime, fait, and alkali, hardly needs an explanation; as all thefe fubftan- ces exift ready formed in the bowels of the earth; and water after being aerated cannot pafs over them without taking up a part; but the manner in which it gains this aerial impregnation, as the cretacious acid does not naturally exift in an un- combined flate in the earth ; is not fo eafily ac, counted for. The cretacious acid is extricated from its com- binations in the large way, by three different pro- cefles, viz. by fermentation, by the action of a Stronger acid, and by heat; the firft method can- not operate in this inftance, the fecond may have its effects; let us try how far it will explain the fubject in queftion. Suppofe this water firft con- taining a marine acid, fhould have paffed over a quantity of cretacious alkali; here the acid con- tained in ten pounds of it, would unite with y^ grs. of pure alkali, which contained, and accord- ingly willdifcharge58grs. equal I i6fquare inches of this O-F SARATOGA. 37 this acid. Now the water is fuppofed to contain at leaft 200 inches, hence we fee that the moft favo- rable ftatement of this mode, will not account e- ven for the quantity of air actually exifting as a component part of the water ; much lefs for the great Superabundance which is continually bub- bling up through it, and is difcharged. We can- not fuppofe that the vitriolic acid, might act on calcarious earth, and difcharge this air, whereby the water might become impregnated, before it was charged with fea-falt and alkali: or elfe we mould have detected fome glaubers fait in the ■waters, as they would at the time that they re- ceived their air, alfo unavoidably become furc- ated with gypfum, which when it came in c.n ;ct with the alkali would have been decomposed thereby, and form this fait. We muft therefore conclude, that this air muft be produced by fubterranean heat, acting on cal- carious earth or limeftone ; thereby fetting it at liberty in this great profuiion ; indeed the deep caverns opening on the lime flone bank before- mentioned, gives fome plaufibility to this opini- on, for it clearly evinces that fome confiderable operations muft be going forward in the earth be- low : the only objection that can be raifed againft this conjecture is, the coldnefs of the waters, but this may be obviated by confidering, that even if they do not come any great diftance after their ae- rial impregnation ; yet they may have afterwards met with their falts, which as is the cafe with all fubftances going from ihe Solid to the fluid Hate, 3« ON THE WATERS will abforb a confiderable quantity of heat, dur- ing their diffolution, and thereby produce the coldnefs in queftion : fhould any fuppofe that this caufe is not adequate to the production of the coldnefs of thefe waters, they are at liberty to confider them as being aerated at a greater diftance from the fprings than is fuggefted; my above ob- fervations however will not permit them to fuf- pect but that the air they contain muft have been e- volyed from its combination by fubterranean fire, the which is proved, by the heat of the waters of Lebanon, to exift at no great diftance * from thefe fprings. By the waters running over a bed of fulphur, their alkali may form a hep.ir with this mineral.; the gas difcharged from which, may give them their fulphurious impregnation, A METHOD OF MAKING AN ARTIFICIAL MINERAL WATER, RESEMBLING IN EVERYRESPECTTHATOFSARATOGA. One great advantage refulting from the Analy- fis of mineral waters is, the being enabled thereby to make artificial waters fimilar to them, whence all their virtues may be obtained at pleafure ; and at any place, without the inconvenience or ex- pence of attending at the fprings. There are fome mineral waters, that from the fixed nature of their ingredients, may be kept for a confiderable time and tranfported from place to place without Suffering much, if any, alteration in their natures ; as for inftance thofe of Epfom, Richmond, * Ahout 50 mile-. OFSARATOGA. 39 Richmond, Swanfey, and the like ; while others as thofe of Pyrmont, Seltfer, Saratoga, &c, not- withftanding our greateft care, can be kept but a fliort time and confequently cannot be conveyed to any great diftance, without loofing in a confid- erable degree their medicinal qualities; for be- fid.es the cretacious acid which from its volatile nature flies off, the iron that was kept in folution thereby, is alfo depofited ; hence they muft loofe the two molt active and effential parts of their com- position ; therefore if any one would have thefe waters at a diftance from the fprings, it is art a- lone that can fupply him. The manner in which I prepared a water re- femblingthe Saratoga waters, not being poflefled of Nooth's apparatus, was as follows : To a quart of Simple water, I added 38grs. aerated lime or chalk, 34.6 grs. common fait, and 5.2 aerated mi- neral alkali; being juft the proportion that I ob- tained from a quart of the mineral water ; I alfo fufpended in it fome frefh iron filings tied up in a linen rag, then by means of a bottle with a fy- phon affixed to it, and which alfo had a mouth whereby I could put in my ingredients, I caufed the air that was difcharged from chalk by a dilut- ed vitriolic acid, to pafs through the water above- mentioned, till it appeared to be fully faturated : to this water was then added fome coarfely pow- dered fulphur, which after Handing awhile was decanted off. This liquor was now acknowledged by ieveral perfons 40 ON THE WATERS) &c. perfons who had drank of the Saratoga water^ perfectly to refemble them in tafte. Most of the reagents ufed on the natural waters, were repeated on thefe and with like effects ; here then is a clear proof of the fuccefs of the analyfis, for fyothefis or the recompofition of a fubftance, witfi fimilar ingredients to what were obtained from it, by all chemiftsisjconfidered the fureft e- vidence of the truth of an-analyfis. Notwithstanding I have not had an opportu- nity of trying'he effects of this water in difeafes, yet the above circumflancesproving it to be com- pofed of the fame ingredients as-the natural wa- ters; leaves no doubt, but that it muft poffefs the fame medicinal virtues. FINIS. "A M«l.H/st. wz. 3J10