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LOWER   BLUE   LICK    SPKINGr.
  The quantitative chemical analyns of the water of
   tfie Low r Blue Lick Spring, in Nick Hs county,
   Ky ; with remark* on  some o'her  Salt Springs
   of tie Blue  Limestone f rma'ivn.

            BY BOBUKT PETER, M. D.,
 Prof, of Meictl Chemi-try, Ac, in  the Kentucky
       School of Medicine, and in Transylvania
                   Univers ty.

   Although this celebrated water has,  at  various
 tim°9, been quaVtatively lested, and  the nature oi
 iis principal larger ingredients ascertained," yet it
 has never bpen  fully analy2ed quan'ita'ively, and
 the presence and proportions of its  minuter con-
 stituents made out. To ascertain the exact weights
 and proportions of these several ingredients, and
 to detect and estimate the more minute, yet not
 Ipss valuable medicinal agents of this water, was
 the object of the new investigation.
   JNor is this object devoid of interest to  the phy-
 Rtcian or the man of science.  Chemical analysis
 frequently owe all their value  to the minute ingre-
 dients which are detected. For example; the an-
 alysis of a soil is of very minor importance when
' it does not develope the proportions  of the potash
 or phosphate of I ime, and mineral waters frequent-
 ly present medicinal virtues,  in their use, which
 cannot be accounted for  in the properties of the
 ingredients which are shown by a rough and  im-
 pprfect analysis.  Thus, the salt-sulphur water of
 Leamington, England, possesses \fr ues in  the
 cure of scrofula, &c, which  were unaccountable
 to physicians until by the minute analysis of Frof.
 Daubeny, iodine and bromine  were detected  in it
 in small  quantities.
   The water of the Lower Blue L'lck Springs, has
 sn pxtensive  repu'ation  in Kentucky and in the
 Sjuth generally; this being one of the oldest and
 best known watering places in the valley of the
 Ohio and Mississippi.  Hundreds < f  invalids,  as
 well as of seekers for recreation and pleasure, vis-
 it this pleasant locality every  season,t and thou-
 sand* of  barrels and of  bottles of the  water are
 annually put up for distant places in this and other
 Slate? J
  « -ie'. .or. Yandell on the minora S^rii gs of Kentucky,
Tr»us lvxiii.1 Journal of Medicine,1832, vol. 6, imje 385
  t-n late years, the accommodations have beengieatly
improved at this old wa ering plate, which isnjw under
tbe management of the Messrs. HU day.
  JPut up in tight vessels it been transportation very
we l;but as it uspee<li;y altered after exposure to the air,
it should ba bolted, »nd corked aad sealed very perfect-
lyfordlitafitust.
  - This remarkable spring, it  is well known, at-
  'racted the a:tention of the  earliest settlers of
  Kentucky, by its strong odor of sulphuretted hy-
  drogen and the saltness of its waters.  It was, in-
 deed, from this source that Boone and other pio-
 neers obtained the salt with which to flavor their
 venison.  Here, while engaged m procuring this
 necessary condiment, was he  surprised and cap-
 tured by the Indians; and here was fought  one of
 the most disastrous, to  the whites, of the early
 battles with the savages.  The historian of Ken-
 tucky will always connect the name of this place
 with some of the most  interesting events of its
 early annals.
   I's history anterior to the advent of the white
 race—unwritten except on the faces of the  sterile
 hills  around the spring, is doubtless equally event-
 ful; for to this spot, in that early period, congrega-
 ted immense herds of Buffaloes and other wild m-
 minantia; led by mysterious  instinct  from distant
 parts of the continent to drink  the saline waters;
 and making in their progress  immense roads or
 trails,through the woods and the dense cane-brake,
 some of  which are to be traced even at tbe pres-
 ent day.  To this cause doubtless—viz: the feeding
 and trampling of these immense  herds over  the
 immediately neighboring hills, destroying the cane
 and grass, together  with  the subsequent remov-
 al of  the forest trees by  the pioneer salt boilers,
 leaving the soil exposed to the washing influence
 of the rains;—is to be attributed the  remarkable
 appearance of these hills.  Denuded of their soil,
 presenting a surface of broken rocks,  and barely
 shaded by a scanty growth of stunted cedars.  A
 singular region of sterility in the midst of a coun-
 try of the highest fertility.  Doubtless,  in latei
 years, these hills  may  again acquire  a soil,
 ny the disintegration of the rock, under the protec-
 tive agency of vegetation, but they now illustrate
 the extreme slowness with which it is produced,
 even  from a limestone which is by no means re-
 markable for its resistance to the atmospherical
 agencies.
  The geological formation  in which the Blue
 Lick Springs are located, is the same as that which
 underlies Cincinnati and the central fertile region
 of Kentucky, called by the western geologists the
 great Blue Limestone formation. It is a lower mem-
 ber of the so-called Silurian System of Murchison.
 It is a formation  of great thickness in the  west,
 composed of limestone layers of  greater or less
 thickness, hardness and purity, with beds of bluish
 marJey clay presenting sometimes a ehalt-y struc-
 ture; all rich in the fossilized remains of inhabi-
tants of the  deep primeval ocean under which
they were evidently deposited.  These foeaila are
\ 
numerous orthocerata;  trilobites, especially the
large Isotelus gigas;  the characteristic coral the
chmtetee lycoperdon;  some crinoidian remains; a
few cyathophilla; with a great variety of shells of
mollueca, of the genera Dilthvris, Leplana, Or-
this, Atrypa, Pleurotomaria Btllerop/wn, o/c, eye.
On this Blue  Limestone are seated the  richest
and mosl durable lands of the west, characterising
the region in which this formation comes to the
surface.  These lands doubtless owe their fertility
to this rock—from whence the soil  has probably
been derived by  its  slow disintegration,—which
abounding in phosphate of lime, ;he alkalies, and
the other min^al elements of the food of  plants,
especially in those layers which are rich in fossil
remains, gives the peculiar fatness to the  soil
which  is formed from it. y
  The well Known Big  Bone Lick of Kentucky is
Beated  on this same rock formation,  and the com-
position of the  water  of  the spring in that locality
appears, by all  accounts, to be nearly analogous to
that of the Blue  Licks; it being a saline eulpur
spring  like the latter.   Indeed, the Blue Lime-
atone is very get.< rally known as a saliieroua for-
mation; which is doubiltEBto be referred to its
sub-marine  origin.  Numerous springs  of  salt
water have been found on it, and many salt wells,
some  containing sulphuretted hydrogen,  have
been obtained  in it by boring.
  At the Bine Licks,  beside the mi in spring, there
are a number of minor ones, on  the two sides of
the Licking river and in its be J, the water of some
of which has been examined  by  the author, and
found to be very much  like that of the principal
spring  in  composition.  Johnson's well, in Scott
county, Ky., also  presents  a composition some-
  $  in the year 1849 the author submitted two dif-
ferent specimens of the Blue Limestone, from the dif-
ferent layers to chemical analysis, with a view to as-
certain its agricultural relationships.  The results, as
published at the time in the Albany Cultivator, (vol.
vi., p. 105,1849,) are as follows:

                    SPECIMEN 1.     SPECIMEN 2.
Carbonic Acid..............36,675           40,53
Phosphoric Acid............ 1,350              3G
Sulphuric Acid..............   807    not estimated.
Lime........................47,046           50,97
Magnesia...................   900              06
Alumina and oxide of Iron.. 9.S80              57
Fine Saud and Silicates..... 1,790            C,52
Moisture and loss........... 1,552             '49

                       100,000           100,000

  In addition to these ingredients, potash and soda
were obtained from the limestone in notable propor-
tions; ai  much as  0.0487 per cent of potash, in one
case, and 0.0058 percent in  another.  It is probable
that a considerable proportion of the iron is  in the
form of carbonate of the protoxide in the recently ex-
posed blue rock, while some little is present as a sul-
phuret.
what analogous to that  of  the  Blue  Lick water,
but it is much weaker and contains more magne-
sian salts.
  While  the water of  the superficial wells and
springs, on  this formation, aie generally what is
denominated hard or  limestone wate'—containing
bi-carbonates of  lime and  magnesia,  with a little
iron, and some phosphate of lime, held in solution
by carbooic acid; these salt wells, or  •Micks," so
called, contain chlorides of sodium and potassi-
um, chlorides of calcium and  magnesium, sul-
phate and  carbonate of lime,  &c,  and  are fre-
quently impregnated, to a  greater or  lees degree,
with sulphuretted hydrogen.  Saline water of this
character, as above intimated, has been frf fluent-
ly obtained on the Blue Limestone formation by
boring.  For example, in the little town of Keene,
in Jessamine county, Ky., a water was obtained
in this manner, in 1848, by  Mr. Wrn. K. Dean,
which is a  very good  salt sulphur water, and has
been considerably employed for iis medicinal pro-
perties.  It  contains  sulphuretted  hydrogen and
carbonic  acid gases; bi-carbonates of lime and
magnesia, with a trace of bi-carbonate of soda;
chlorides of sodium, calcium, magnesium, and
doubtless of potassium, with a trace  of iron; but
this is  much weaker  than the  Blue  Lick water
containing only 1  6 grains of  saline in  the 10U0
grains of the water; being only about one sixth the
strength of  the  former. Iu  a  later testing,  in
May, 1850,  it was found to  be yet weaker, proba-
bly because of the then extremely wet season.—
This water  has not  been fully analyzed to detect
the presence of iodine and bromine.

  la Scott county of this State, in a well bored to
the depth  of 176 feet in this limestone, Mr. W.
Hoszell obtained a water which contains a nota-
ble proportion of chloridesof sodium, calcium and
magnesium, &c, &c, and  smells strongly of pul>
phurrettec hydrogen.  The water of another  bored
well—105 feet deep, obtained in 1848  by Major B.
Koberts,  in  Harrison county, also on the  Blue
Limestone   Founation,—has a very  slight  bitu-
minous or sulphureous odor, bu: contains as much
as sixteen pattsin the thousand of saline matters,
principally  chloride of sodium, with  chlorides of
potassium, calcium and  magnesium;  sulphate of
lime; bi-carbonates of lime, magnesia and iron, and
a trace of iodine.  Thi>j is rather stronger in salts
than the Rlue Lick wau r, and differs  from it also
in its deficiency of sulphuretted hydrogen, but in
other respects they resemble each other veiy much
in composition.

  Anoth- r well, 811-2 feet deep, was  made by bo-
ring, in Scott county, near  Georgetown, on  the
property of Mr.  K. Ford, the water  of which con-
tains as much as  4 per cent, of saline matter, prin-
cipally common salt, with sulphates  of lime and
potash, chloridesof calcium and magnesium, &c,
&c. Some of the wells in Lexington yield a water
smelling slightly of sulphuretted hydro en, and
while  penning these remarks, a bottle of watei
was brought to me from a boring ia progress, forty- 
3
five  feet deep, in this city, which is a weak sul-
phur water. ••
  Saline, and saline sulphur-waters, therefore are
quite frequent, comparatively, in our Blue Lime-
stone strata; but  amongst all the springs of this
nature, known at present on this formation, in
Kentucky, none are as valuable, and as remarka-
ble, in many respects, us those of the lower Blue
Licks.
  The principal spring, of this locality, from which
the water submitted to analysis was taken, is sit-
uated near tbe banks of the Licking river, flowing
out about  twenty feet above low water in that
stream.  It rises  in  a hexagonal basin  of stone,
which  has been built for it, which is six feet two
inches in diameter from one side to the opposite
parallel one, and about  five or  six feet in depth.
The quantity of water which  flows out  varies in
different seasons. When the water for the present
examination  was obtained, June 6,1850, it was
low in the spring  and not running.  The water in
this  basin was lowered about one foot by pumping
out  seventy-six barrels* in  the  course of three
hours; and in the winter time the stream which
flows out from it would probably fill a pipe three
inches in diameter.
  The temperature of this spring was observed by
Major  Richard Owen, Professor  in  the Western
Military Institute  located at the Blue Licks; who
was  kiad enough  also to procure  and pack up  for
me with great care, the  water, sediment and gas,
from the spring, in the various  bottles which  had
been prepared for the  purpose.   In six observa-
tions, at different times on June 4th and 5th, the
external air varying from 60degs. to 76 degs. Fahr.,
the temperature of the water stood very constantly
at 62 degs.   This  is about seven degrees above the
mean temperature of this  region, which is about
55deg8.; and it is probable mat  the temperature
of the water in the basin had been somewhat raised
by the external heat of the  atmosphere.  When
flowing rapidly it may perhaps befoundtoapproxi
mate more nearly to the mean annual temperature.
  The mass of water in the spring presents a light-
yellowish-green color; partly owing, perhaps, to
the reflection from the yellowish grey sediment;
for when it is taken up in a clear vessel it appears
perfectly colorless and beautifully transparent.—
  ** Associated with the water thus obtained by boring,
in our  Blue Wi.nestone, is  som.times found a  large
quantity of light carburetted hydrogen gas. One remark
«bla inst ince occurred ie Franklin county, at the mills of
the Messrs. Stedman, where, as I am informed, this gas,
in lurgi quantities is poured out from the boring; the
stream lasting forsome time and perhaps existing at the
present moment.  The origin of this pas in the coal for-
mations, wh re itismoie abundant, is doubtless from
trie vegetable matters which formed the co 1, but in this
formation it Is a puzz e to geolog'sts.  Unless we sup-
pose it to be derived, lifce the fluid  bitumen sometmes
discovered in this rock, from tne decomposition of the
animal  remains in the strata, no other probable cause
can be given for its production.
  •These barrels will not contain more than thirty gal-
lons.
On standing exposed to the air,  however, it be
comes of a yellowish-green color, very perceptible
in a white pitcher, or even in a white glass bottle.
This color deepens  on boiling the water,—but
boiling does not cause it  to appear in the recent
water.  This color, to which the  spring probably
owes its name of B ue Licks, is due  to  the de-
composition of some of the dissolved ingrediente.
On exposure to the air, the hydrogen,  of  the sul-
phuretted hydrogen, becomes converted into wa-
ter by combining  with  oxygen from the atmos-
phere, while the sulphur, with the trace  of iron,
&c, are deposited as a light  yel'owish-green pre-
cipitate; at the same time, in  consequence of the
escape of some of the free carbonic acid, carbo-
nate of lime is thrown down,  which mixes with
the sulphur precipitate.  The minute portion of
iron which exists in the .recent water, probably,
as carbonate of  the protoxide, losing its carbonic
acid and oxygen, becomes a sulphuret by taking
some of the sulphur of the decomposed sulphur-
etted hydrogen, and  gives the  greenish tinge to
the water and  its sediment.
  In the water which has been bottled or brought
in bairels from the spring, this change of  color
and consequent  deposition, occurs a few hours
after it has been brought  in  contact with the air
by uncorking and withdrawing a portion out of the
vessel.  It changes in a  marked manner in flavor
owing to the decomposition  of the sulphuretted
hydrogen; and after a few days exposure  loses al-
smell and taste of this gas; as  might be expected
from  its decomposible  nature.  To preserve its
virtues in exportation, therefore, it should be bot-
tled like a sparkling wine and used as  soon as i*
is opened.   In this manner, if but little air be left
in the  neck of the bottle and the .cork is  very
tight and secured by  sealing wax, it may  be pre-
served  unchanged for  a considerable  time.  In
the spring and its channel this decomposition and
escape  of gas continually takes place,  causing
he formation of  sediment.   Less decomposition
would probably take place in the  spring were its
basin smaller, so that the water would be  more
rapidly renewed  and it would expose less  surface
to the air.
  Some of the sediment collected fromTthe bottom
of the spring, was found by analysis to contain the
following ingredients, viz:
      Sand, in considerable  proportion.
      Carbonates of lime and Magnesia,
      Sulphur,
      Oxide and sulphuret of Iron,
      Alumina,
      A trace of oxide of Manganese,
      Apocrenic Ac d,  -
      A trace of Crenic Acid.
   All these ingredients,  except the sand, which
is probably brought out mechanically suspended,
were  doubtless dissolved in  the  recent  water,
and were deposited on its exposure to the air.
j In addition to the gases, sulphuretted hydrogen
and carbonic acid, which are  thus  gradually de-
composed in the water, or which  escape  insensi 
4
W.from its phi face, streams of bubbles of gas are
continually rising through the eprirji and breaimg
into the atmosphere.
'  Some of this pasi carefully cqJ.leci.ed for me by
M j. jU*f n, in.bottles  prepared  for the purpose,
wj* su-'iniued to ana!y*is,  and.found.to consist
mainlv  ofuitrogen.mixed with a*boul4 5 per cent,
of carbonic acid gas, containing only a trace of sul-
phuretted hydrogen,    i  '■.. *-.VM
  The analysis of the wate^rivas performed in the
chemical laboratory oftfie  Medical  Department
of Transylvania Univ*>r-i y, at L- xington, with the
assistance of .Mr. A. Sjhue, of  the  Western Mil-
itary Institute, and required at least ten days con-
stant labor.  1 will not  give  the detail of the va-
rious processes,  as this would be uninteiesting to
the general reader.  Let it suffice to say  that the
amount of free aulphurtetted hydrogen and carbon-
ic acid was ascertained .by  placing, by  means ol
proper  pbetie, a measured  quantity of therecent
water,  at the spring, in bottles containing, sever-
ally, solution of  arsenious acid  in hydrocboloric
aoid, and an .unonical solution of chloride of cal-
cium.  The precipitates in these bottles were ex-
amined in the laboratory, and the proportion of
these gases accurately ascertained.
   The  estimation of (he saline  ingredients was
 made in the most careful manner, in some of the
water which  had been  brought from  the spring in
tight glass-stoppered bottles. The quantity  used
in each estimation was not lees than one thousand
grains, and  was sometimes as  much as twelve
thousand grains.
   To estimate the Bromin* and Iodine, a demi-
john which would hold  aboutone hundred pounds,
 was sent to tbe  springs to be filled:  intending to
evaporate this quintity for the purpose; but by
some accident i\ did not come to  hand  in time,
and to  avoid delay the estimation of these minute
ingredients" was made by operating  on the r» 6idue
obtained by evaporating 6  12 lbs., Troy, of the
 water; all that was left, of  two gallons, from the
other experiments.  The Iodine was  estimated as
 Iodide  of palladium, and the Bromine, precipita-
 ted as  Bromide of silver was estimated by the in
 direct method as described  in the recent woikson
 chemical analysis.
   The  proportions of the alkalies were also  sepa-
 rately  estimated.  In consequeuce of the failure
 to obtain the carboy of water, the separate propor-
 tions of thealumina, phosphateof lime, and  oxide
 or proto-carbonate of  iron,  were not  made out;
 this, however, is a matter of minor importance.'

   The  composition of the   Blue Lick water; ac-
 cording to this analysis, is as follows; calculated
 both in 1000 grains of  the water and in the wine
 pint of 7,68U grains, v.z:
Specfi: Gr
I 007
                       Cubx n
Su'p^ureu.-d hfd. gai, '\K:'J 7 %<u  0 1086
Free Orb. acid gat.  0.351? gn.   U 76
 Tbe fo iner is >n tie  -, rap mon of aoom l-iti,, ihfl
water tad ine taller ioi>u'. 1-i_» w it unit.
nthew'ne pint.
    Cuhi  i ch.
 129   0f340-18,
Stlinr eontri '-inlt)i;i»r
l'n-1 pn-t>' "t 'fle.
Oarinnai- ol 'ii--ne»i».
Aljfrti nivrl""Vt"«e dlr
  fnidoijiroil,!.
oioitd ut »odi»m,
ChlorlUeo'potassium,
I hion -ofmaffntnum,
Bi ■ . i * of i.,a|r,.eMUin,
l,n!inf ,,t' mar ,'stuin,
Sulrhmr i"  i ie,
?n p »>e.of I'ouikh,
S he c ac.d,
Whole enline ce ttcte,
%-'
  The water alto contains traces AT'oxide of man-
ganese, and spocrenic and crenic B/4ids-t       t,.
  A*  it respects the medicinal virtue^ of  thlji,
water it is not necessary for me to say much -*«
Knowing the nature and p.opoi lions  of the injireV \
dtents, any well  educated, physicians will under-  '
stand its medicinal  virtues, and  applications.  It,
is  undoubtedly a highly valuable saline t-ulphur
water and consequently, acts as a nervous btimu-
hint, diaphoretic  diuretic and emmensgogue; p o-
vins purgative only to some persons.   Such waters
are described by authors to be useful in chronic
d.sorders of the liver, dyspepsia, chronic cutane-
ous diserises, chronic  iht'iimatii<m  and pout, se-
condary syphilis, dysmenorrfcea, 6ic,  &c; and
thin water  would doubtleHH  be valuable  in none
scrofulous blrlictions,  more r^pecially from  the
iodine and bromine which  it contains.
  The discovery of these ingredients in this water
is  a matter of great  interest in a medicinal  point
of view.  Although  they exist in  i  in very small
proportions, yet experience has demonstrated that
they are in sufficient amount to  be act vc  when
the use of the water is continued for a length of
time, in the quantitiesusually diank at the springs.
   The use of the water as a hath is a valuable ad-
juvant to its internal use in many ca«en.   Its ap-
plication to the cureot disuse  should, however,
always be made under tb< direct ions of a physic an.
  t  The quantity of saline and other matters brought
out from the interior by this and other similar springs
is immense, and sets at defiance all efforts to find out
their source.
  Taking the data above given as to the quantity of
water which flows out at this spring, we find that it
emits G78 gallons per  hour, equal to 26.27* gallons in
the  day of twenty-four  tmurs.  Supposing the saline
matters to constitute  but one per cent, of the water,
the amount brought out in one hour, would  be more
than 58 lbs. avoirdupois.   But say that 5u lbs. an hour
is the proportion, and the quantity will amoun to 438,-
000 lbs. per annum. The specific gravity  of common
salt being 2,257, this quantity in solid  lump would
contain about 310  cubic feet,  or be enough to form a
cube of,salt nearly 7 leet on a side!  And yet the wa
ter flows on without  any  s-ensible dimunition  of  its
saltness. Whence is all this  saline'matter obtainedl
Is there, embedded in the deeper strata of  the Blue
limestone, an  immense layer of rock  salt, derived
from the original  ocean  under which the  reck was
deposited? 
4 
 
 
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