alter'd not I essay'd Tinore Cellar-Salt and Lapis Calaminaris which last communicated only a dry â—aste more Corrosive Half the Jelly dissolved in a great quantity of fair Water precipitated not any heavy Powder the dirt flying about in it light The other half distill'd sent over a Liquor near the scent of Spirit of Salt but no Butter The Earth expos'd to the Air had no Efflorescence Dullwich stone melted with Glass did not tinge the Glass but penetrated the Vessel it was melted in which was of Tobacco-pipe Clay which broke smooth like China an effect which the other stones melted at the same time had not Woodhâ—m-Ferrys stones Lixivium tasted sweetish Redded Tincture of Logwood near a Claret but deeper and darker With Gall whitish and turbid as Nitâ—es Note that this was made of the burnt stone but with some Gall flying in it and curdled which is the effect of Salâ—petre Lignum Nephriticum it took a clear Tincture from and of a Canary colour The stone wash'd Jelly'd in Aqua fortis from which nothing could be separated by Sublimation or Precipitation no Efflorescence upon the exposing it to the Air nor was any Metalline Tincture discover'd by Fusion with Glass Epsam stones Lixivium with Oyl of Tartar per deliquium grew white and thick with Gall a fine and clear Yellow With Tincture of Logwood a dull pale Tawny It slack'd not in Water it jelly'd not in Aqua fortis the Powder remaining heavy and close at the bottom I boyl'd some of the Stain in Lye and in Water sharpen'd with Spirit of Nitre I infus'd some but from neither could make any discovery by Colour or Precipitation So now I come to the Essays of the Waters and Nature of the Salts therein contain'd Selenitical Waters Ebbisham commonly Epsam Water in SURRY EPsam Water was the first of the Purging kind discover'd in England viz. 1630 or soon after The Hill is a Clay of a brown colour and reddish and where the Wells are more grey The Well is about twelve foot deep the Earth where the Spring is afforded the Selenites plentifully at a private Well they were Columns the sides and superficies of which were inequilateral Parallelograms posited with their edges downward and their ends meeting in the centre In a Well a few feet distant and at the publick Well they were Rhomboid At both ends of the Town is Châ—lk dug and the Hill here and there hath veins of blew Loam Of the private Well which was newly sunk I inform'd my self by examining the Earth cast out of it which I receiv'd of the Owner Mr. Symonds together with this Account The upper Earth for two Spit deep was the same then they came to a harder and Loamy which lasted about seven feet then to a looser which sparkled with small Selenites as at the publick Well this held for two feet where they came at the Stones and Water together The Water in Summer-time flow'd in at the rate of an Ale-barrel in 24 hours Below the Selenites they came at a dead heavy Earth and black partaking of Iron under which was the common dead Loam or Cortex of the Mineral Region And though they dug three or four feet deeper yet neither was Water or the former signs found As the Selenites had somewhat of the shape of Vitriol of Iron so where they lay were veins of Iron and colour'd Earth the Iron was pure and obey'd the Load-stone the Earth which was either of a Brimstone colour or that of Iron rust I prov'd by washing to be the same only joyn'd by an Acid Juyce like Spirit of Vitriol which in the yellow had no taste of the Iron but a distinct pleasant Acid which with the Jellying of some parts of the Earth in Aqua fortis especially of the whiter part of it where the Selenites lay is what I observed there I shall not therefore repeat my Tryals of the Earths which were fruitless The Water is moderately clear of Taste bitter together with a muakish Saltishness not manifestly Lixiviat but a little of the taste of the second Salt of Salt Marine and of that Cellar Salt that is gather'd by things hanging in the middle of Cellars and not what fixes to the Walls Epsam Water precipitated not Vitriol dissolv'd in it but promoted its atramentous Quality as doth the Salt not precipitating the Colour as Salt of Lime or Chalk nor turning it red as some others particularly Salt of Cellars Notwithstanding this it agreed with that sort of Alkaly particularly which is calcarious in that it restor'd the blew of Tincture of Turnsole sharpen'd it took a Purple with a Tincture of Logwood in common Water lively and full not dull red a little purplish and dusky as Salt of Tartar made with Saltpetre and Alkalys produce nor tawny as Salt of Cellars Further as Salt of Chalk it troubled a Solution of Sublimat in fair Water and sent down a white precipitate which Alum doth not With Syrup of Violets a Grass-green as the same Salt Yet it peculiarly differ'd from the Salt of Chalk and all grosser Salts in taking a high Yellow and clear Tincture from Gall which is peculiar to Spirit of Nitre it being not of the Nature of Saltpetre which is the only Salt that takes a pale but clear Tincture With Syrup of Cloves it became dark â—ooty and greenish as do Alkalys and Fuligo of Vitriol that adheres to places where the Fume of boyl'd Coporas comes ☞ The peculiar Nature of the Salt of this Water is to be Calcarious yet agreeing with Vitriols and particularly to resemble Spirit of Nitre rather than Nitre it self yet to resemble the Salt of Chalk in precipitating a Solution of Sublimate which Spirit of Nitre will not The Acidity that came over in Distilling was little and pleasant The Salt Grey near a White and unfigur'd or uncapable of Christallization but soft like Barbadoes or Lisbon Sugar It did not cast up a Scum till it was near boyled up and the Salt precipitated in boyling This Salt was wrought on by Acids yet it coagulated Salt of Tartar rendred Liquid called Ol. Tartari per diliq it did not inflame with Sulphur but blister'd on a hot Iron and was not Caustick either burnt or unburnt The Earth of this Salt was white and dissolv'd in part in distill'd Vinegar and was about an eighth of the Salt The Salt of the Water which is said to amount in some dry Seasons to the proportion of seven Drams in a Gallon scarce then exceeded the half of that quantity after a wet one when I had it indeed not so much The Salt purged pleasantly in the quantity of half an Ounce as I try'd it but it seems to require a very gentle Evaporation to the due Preparation of it that Acidity of Alkalisatness may be preserved entire This Salt dissolv'd in some of its own Water deepned the yellow colour of Galls to a Pink and at last to a Red or very near as Spirit
of Nitre does upon long Infusion but thickish as embody'd Salts I saw some Salt boyl'd up in Copper without any Verdigrease Tincture so mild is the Acid. Acton Water in Middlesex THE Earth of this Well afforded Rhomboid Tale as a Gentleman that liv'd at the place and inform'd me express'd it Much Nitrous Efflorescence appears in the Clay about the Well The Spring opens Northerly is reputed one of the strongest Purgers about London It is noted to occasion a great Soreness of the Intestine and Fundament which is reasonably refer'd to the quantity of Salt they wash from the Body but the Penetration of the Salt of the Water may make it more pungent and keen The Water was whitish not so clear as Epsam not saltish but rather to me seem'd sweet with a little of the Bitterness of Epsam It curdled with Soap as do all The Salt of this Water is soft and not christalliz'd wherein it agrees with Epsam Salt though I thought scarce so soft The distinct Nature of this Water or Salt of this Water consists in that this Salt is more Calcarious or of the Nature of Salt of Lime for the Water boyl'd high disturb'd a Solution of Sublimate in fair Water whence it precipitated a yellowish Sediment a little more yellow than the Water which it left white And this Salt is likewise more Nitrous or hath more of the Nature of the Salt of the upper Soyle as appears in that it takes a pale Yellow from Gall but dusky and disturb'd as common Salt doth effect not so dirty nor so apt to precipitate as Sal Calcarium With Syrup of Violets it took a Green with Tincture of Logwood made with Brandy a deep Red and purplish as Nitrous Salts do with cold Tincture of Logwood which hot would give a full Purple The Salt did not precipitate fine Silver out of Spirit of Nitre which common Salt would A Pint and half of the Water yielded forty eight Grains of Salt in which was six Grains and a half of reddish Earth on which Acid Spirits wrought The Earth precipitated in Boyling Colchester Water from the North end in ESSEX THE Water boyl'd Meat without discolouring the Flesh which it rather whiten'd The Water was much the same with Acton giving with Tincture of Logwood a purplish Red a little Tawny and with Gall a clear Yellow and pale but in half an hour grew turbid with a whitish Cloud But with Lignum Nephriticum it became a little darkish but clear a little toward what Spirit of Vitriol does Woodham Ferrys in Essex being a Chalybeat is reserv'd to that Class The Water at 〈◊〉 THis Water claiâ—s the principâ—l Place being made Illustrious 〈…〉 in which His Majesty hath 〈…〉 his Mansion Palace The 〈…〉 at this Well hath much the 〈…〉 cluster'd Columns form'd at 〈…〉 this difference that this at Kensington is depress'd and flat on one side as they are prominent on the other and at the base or flat side are more truly separable than the Sâ—â—â—nites of these Waters usually are and so nearer resemble the â—uscovy Glass The Pyrites which I received from this Well was very hard of a greenish Gray or Hazel colour and 〈◊〉 it differ'd from all in wanting the crust of Gypsum or Trichitis so upon infusion of Aquaâ—ortis it did not coagulate into a Jelly but yet after the working of the Aqua fortis which was very violent the Powder settled not but remain'd of a yellow or Iron rust colour Flâ—ing or turbid though it stood some days The Mineral Matter therefore being reâ—â—iv'd or taken up by the 〈…〉 with fair Water and 〈…〉 and not much 〈…〉 â—â—rrosive Acidity This Liqâ—or which remain'd 〈…〉 the Settlement of the Powder or Dust upon further Diluting sent down no Mineral parts but upon mixing a little powder'd Gall turn'd immediately of a blew Black as is the Property of Iron to produce Distill'd Vinegar on this Stone made no Effervescence yet extracted the Chalybeat parts as appear'd in the Taste The weight of this Stone was one Ounce and one Grain in the Air and just six Drams in the Water which was the weight of the piece which I had The Water was clearer than these usually are and less bitter than Epsam but of a more manifestly Saline Taste In the Quantity of nine Ounces and five Drams and 48 Grains it outweigh'd common Water 37 Grains It s Alkalisate Nature appear'd in giving a Red inâ—lin'd to a Purple with Tincture of Logwâ—â—â— in that Spirit of Nitre did not disturb it in that it troubled and rendred Milky a Solution of Sublimate in fair Water and sent down a white Precipitate as Salt of Chalk doth and in giving the same Green with Syrup of Violets It became dark and sooty with Syrup of Cloves as Alkalys yet not so much Alkalisate as to turn greenish nor indeed to lose all the Red. It had an Acidity in that it curdled Spirit of Harts-horn and the same it produced with the Lixivium of Salt of Plants With Gall it became thick and white as the Salts of Earths that are not perfectly Nitrous but of a mix'd Nature or where the Acid and Salt disturb each other or oppose Earths as they approach to Nitres or are more Alkalisate darken this white With Lignum Nephriticum it took a deep Yellow or Orange and clear as Alkalys produce With Iron and Gall it took a reddish Black and rusty as Alkalys and not apt to hold it without Precipitation I found in two Quarts about 40 Grains of Earth light leafy and gray which Distill'd Vinegar wrought on The Salt was soft and unfigur'd mostly but had some Stiriae form'd in it flat and not pointed at least most of them This Salt melted not easily as Epsam Salt but bore a good Heat and had a much greater quantity of Earth in it the hardness of which was felt on the Tongue in tasting the Salt Much Earth precipitated in boyling as others but it bore not readily a Scum till near boyl'd up at least as in making other Salt till the falling of the Salt I judged this Salt of the Nature of an Alkaly and of kin to Epsam but yet to differ being not so resembling the Spirit of Nitre in the Tryal with Gall and accordingly that Water increas'd Ink-making without turning it Red so that this seems more related to the gross or embody'd Salt which accordingly makes it disturb a Solution of Gall. This Water differs from the rest in that it troubles but very little a Solution of Sal Saturni in common Water in which it resembles more Saltpetres which doth not disturb it at all The Salt of the Water did trouble a Solution of fine Silver in Spirit of Nitre which in a long time precipitated the Precipitation was neither so quick nor so full nor in so large Curdles as common Sea-salt or Rock-salt doth it Puring Waters in an even Loamy Clay more Simple and not variegated Richmond Water in SURRY THis
Water is a level Spring the Wells are on the side of the Hill a few Rod from the River Thames in a brown leamy Clay which are about nine feet deep to the bottom of the Water as the Digger inform'd me there There is a Tile-Kill adjoyning to the Ground where the Wells are This Water was first discover'd about 1686 the account that the Possessor of one of the Wells Mr. Brown gave me was that the Earth was an even Loamy Clay that the Water issued into the Well from the side among the Stones whereof I brought away as many pieces as I could dispose of No Selenites found here The Loam and Clay about the Wellâ— had a Nitrous Efflorescence the Earth above and about Richmond a Gravel This Water purgeth well but I think scarce so much as Epsam and Acton but more smoothly The Water is smooth on the Tongue scarce any appearance of bitterness salutes the Palat with the taste of common Water but leaves a farewel a little nauseous and sharp The Water curdled Milk but not so hard or strong as others with Syrup of Violets a mild Green not so deep as Vitriols make it resembled common Salt or a Vitrioline in that Spirit of Nitre drop'd into it made no Alteration though the Water was boyl'd half away Spirit of Sal Armoniack rendred it thick white and curdled and sent down a large Precipitate Spirit of Harts-horn made a small Curdle and Precipitate Spirit of Salt no Alteration With Galls it grew immediately turbid white and thick not Milk-white like what Salt of Hungarian Vitriol produceth not dark as Alkalys not coloured as common Salt not clear as Saltpetre nor reddish as Chalk nor dark and ready to precipitate the Colour as Spirit of Vitriol The Water standing a while on pieces of Iron with Gall chang'd dark with a reddish cast as Alkalys render Ink In both these it resembled Salt of Cellarsâ— yet differ'd in giving a wan dusky Red with 〈◊〉 of Clove Gilly flowers as common Salt and â—â—â—ding Tincture of Logwood â—s Acids ☞ The Salt of this Water hence appears to be Acid of a Vitrioline Nature yet to be a little Alkalisate or Nitrous â—ot so deeply as Alkalys but resembling the Salt embodying Vitriols or the uniting of Vitrioline Salt with the Salt of common Earth and which our common Water contains Richmond Water distill'd in a Glass retort yielded a Water which was Acid enough to redden a little the colour of Syrup of Violets and to give a faint Red with Tincture of Logwood but took no Quality from Iron and it was very light in weight equal to Tunbridge and the light Chalybeats The Salt was gray and figur'd like the Bacilli of Nitre flat and long and many of the Sâ—iriae were pointed like Needles some Prisms some Camellae it melted not easily yet I thought sooner than Vitriols It chang'd not the colour of Salt of Tartar but curdled its Deliquium inflamed not with Sulphur The Earth was smaller than in most Waters was gray and Acid Spirits as of Salt Aqua fortis and Spirit of Nitre would not touch it It alter'd not in the Fire but made a small Decrepitation or Spitting I judged a little more than Allum The Salt of this Water did not disturb nor change the colour of Sublimate Water which Alkalys and Salt of Cellars does It was a little sweetish and not cold as Saltpetre is The Stone found in this Well resembled Loam The Loam cast up for Tiles in the Ground joyning to this Well had a Nitrous Efflorescence The Stone had a Tincture of Iron The Tile-earth in the Ground adjoyning I infus'd in warm Water sharpned with Oyl of Vitriol This Water gave a Green with Syrup of Violets and with Tincture of Logwood a sooty dusky colour a little reddish Dullwich Water HAS its name from the Town near it but the Wells are in Lewisham Parish in Kent The Wells are in the foot of a Hill about twelve in number The Hill and Ground adjoyning is a stiff Clay with some Wood upon it These are next in Antiquity to Epsam being discover'd about the Year 1640 The Hole dug is about nine feet deep as I judg'd and the Water about half a Yard deep being usually emptied every day The bottom is a Loam as is the Hill and where the Water issues in is found the Lapis Lutoso-Vitriolicus which glitters with Vitriolick sparkles and is divided into Parcels by the Trichitis This Water purgeth very quick and are not to be drank by a Body out of Temper or Heat by walking without inconvenience I was there Iuly 1696 after some wet days This Water is bitter like Epsam it curdled with Soap or Milk much more than Richmond and equal to Epsam Taken the same day with Richmond in the quantity of nine Ounces and near a quarter was 28 Grains heavier than common Water and 12 Grains than Richmond With Gall it turn'd â—st yellow and clear then thick and muddy white and a little yellowish in which it resembled common Salt and with that it agreed in making no alteration in a Solâ—tion of Sublimate and in making an 〈◊〉 with Spirit of Nitre and in not disturbing Spirit of Salt It agreed with Acids in not relieving the Red of Tincture of Turnsole sharpned in curdling Spirit of 〈◊〉 very much but Spirit of Sal Armoniâ—â—◠〈◊〉 little or rather in a more fine Cuâ—â—le In which Trial this resembles common Salt more than Richmond which curdles thâ— last most and in giving a Red with Tinctâ—re of Logwood The particular Nature is somewhat pointed at in that this Water after an Infusion some hours on points of Nails with Gall became dusky and thick of a foot colour which precipitated and left the Liquor yellow in this it differ'd from 〈◊〉 Salts The Stone prov'd it self to have much of the Nature of Rock-salt such as is brought from the West of England near Chester The Salt shot into Stiriae which being heat blister'd and lost much by a hot Fire so as to have only 12 Grains remaining of 40 but this was done in Earth the more fix'd parts remain'd angular and flat like Sea-salt The stone melted pierced the Clay readily and made it break like China The Calx of the Salt remain'd Gray Though I must not adventure to determine the particular Nature of the Salt of this Water which made the stone sparkle yet I may say it is Marcasitical and that it contains no fresh or new Metal or Mineral but that it varies in the Salt as the Gravels and Loams meeting and joyning produce the common Vitriol stone which here seems of kin to that of common Gravels and that it has some cold Nature proportionable to such an Original but fluxile withall being apt to set the Blood flowing The Salt I conclude by the Essays to resemble common Salt and to be of kin to Mineral Salt as is our Rock salt but yet to differ in its being more Penetrative and
Fluxile and not of the Nature of common Salt which precipitates not Vitriols North-Hall Water in Hartfordshire WEigh'd heavier than Epsam and pleasant not so nauseous to taste It preserved the blew of Syrup of Violets which Nitres and Alkalys chang'd to a green It disturbed not a Solution of Sublimate in common Water It was not acid enough nor Alkalisat enough to give either a red or dirty brown with Tincture of Logwood but gave it a yellow which grew paler upon standing as I judged somewhat like Glaubers Salt which is made of common Salt and Spirit of Vitriol and which likewise purgeth It took very little yellowness from Galls and what it took it would not hold but suffer'd to precipitate presently The first being the effect of Spirit of Salt the last of Spirit of Vitriol It curdled soapy Water in large Curdles and Ol. Tartari per deliquium the same and upon shaking this Water rais'd a great Froth which it kept a great while I judged therefore this Water to contain a Salt resembling common Salt and that part of it which is condens'd and christalliz'd through Cold in a Humid as in Cellars the Coagulation with Liquid Salt of Tartar being not so universal as with the other part of common Salt Lambeth nearer Well in Surry THIS Water beside the Virtues which it hath in common with other Purging Waters has the Property of caring Leprosies and cleansing and clearing Scorbutick Scurss and Spots which how the Nature of the Salt accounts for is worth Observation This Water try'd at the Well after a dry Season was clear but not so Limpid as common Spring Water having somewhat of the colour of Rain-water it was of the taste of Saltpetre or nearer Saltpetres second Salt but left a Vitriolick brackish or nauseous taste on the Palat. Half a Pint and half an Ounce of this Water exceeded common Water in weight 24 Grains it made no alteration in a Solution of Sublimate in fair Water which Nitres and Alkalys disturb it agreed with common Salt in changing the Red of Syrup of Clove Gilliflowers into a cloudy pale colour in which the Red upon 24 hours standing was wholly lost but was restored by a drop of Spirit of Nitre it had the Effects of the same Salt in curdling strongly with Ol. Tartar per deliquium in giving a pale yellow not very fine with Gall and with Tincture of Logwood a brown exactly resembling Ale that is not fine a little browner if any thing than what common Salt produceth But in this it agreed with Saltpetres second Salt and it disturb'd a Solution of Sal Saturni in fair Water just to that degree that Saltpetres second Salt does and with Lignum Nephrâ—ticum gave a Whitewine yellow and clear quickly as Saltpetre does common gravelly Spring-water gives near the colour but upon longer standing It agreed besides only with Glaubers Salt in the Essay with Gall and Logwood The Water standing on Iron 24 hours gave with Gall a reddish Purple which turn'd Inky and although the grosser parts precipitated as where there is a mixture of Nitre and in the Vitrioline Waters impregnate with the Salt of the upper Soil yet the colour remain'd in the clear Liquor much deepâ—â— than a Violet though it stood open some days This one drop of Spirit of Nitre turn'd â—â—een as it doth Ink made with English 〈◊〉 A drop or two of this in common 〈◊〉 a Gravel resumed the Red. This Water precipitated fine Silver out of Spirit of Nitre but not so quick and strongly I thought as Rock-salt and Sea-salt This Water accordingly changed not the colour of Syrup of Violets neither doth common Salt Thus the Salt of this Water agreeth with common Salt but comes not up to its power of Precipitating or Coagulating which Properties would rather set and fix the Humour and so promote the Distemper as appears in the Effects of Bay-salt to produce the Scurvy which Property is observ'd to lye in the hardness of the second or less coagulable part and not to be found in the Salt when purified It agrees in some Tryals with Saltpetres second Salt which is not wholly differing from common Salt But because Salts differ I examined the Water more nicely It disturb'd a Solution of Hungarian Vitriol which common Salt did not Rock Salt very little but the second Salt of Saltpetre readily effected likewise but scarce in so high a Degree for this sent down a yellowish Precipitate forthwith yet it did not trouble a Solution of Mercury Sublimate as Sal Gem. nor precipitate it as do the Nitres and Lime-salt of a yellow or as Salt of Chalk and Marle white The Salt was gray near white mostly near Cubes or in thick plates as common Salt some scurfie light parts with it which was the Scum which precipitated in Boyling no Stiriae or pointed parts could I observe The Water did early raise or bear a Scum The Salt readily ran per deliquium and leâ—t a leafie Earth and grey about 24 Grains out of a Quart of Water This leafy Earth was very light and made a very small Effervescence with distill'd Vinegar nor would it wholly take away its Acidity This Salt precipitated fine Silver out of Spirit of Nitre in hard large Curdles Saltpetres second Salt only whitens and disturbs the Solution which at last precipitates it Ol. Partari per deliquium works on it but does not precipitate the Silver But this Salt I thought did scarce so fully precipitate the Silver as Rock Salt ☞ I therefore refer the Nature of the Salt of this Water to that of common Salt whose power it hath even to the depurating a Solution of Vitriol but without either so gross and strong an Earth or so severe and coagulative an Acidity The Diseases that have been cur'd by these Waters as I found them registred in a Table at the Well were as I remember Leprosie Scurvy Vertigo's Jaundies Worms Stone and Colick To understand on what account this Water exerts its power beside Worms which every one knows to be destroy'd and the flatulent putrid matter suppress'd by Sea-salt I think the Leprosie may well illustrate To have a Notion of the Nature of this Disease It is not necessary here to inquire into the particular Juyce it is seated in and Vessels serving it it is sufficient that the Nature and Genius of the Humour or Salt is toward an Alkali exulcerating and dry seated or produced by too thick and luxuriant Chyle in too nitrous or scorching a Climate That the Cure of this Disease consists not only in somâ— Qualities that mortifie it but in some pungent parts that can retain their Nature and are apt to separate the grosser parts we are taught by the success of Vipers in this Disease which have a Faculty of separating Tartar from Canary in which they are infus'd which else yields none On which by the way I must observe the Error in choosing that Wine for the Infusion on which the
Virtue of the Vipers is in so much measure lost proportionably to the demand of the thickness of the Liquor If this be conceded I think it must be allow'd that as the Nature of this Salt is disposed to mortifie Alkalys and to penetrate without Corruption so its being void of that severe Coagulum may qualifie it to separate and discharge And that I beg not much in this Notion will appear in the opposite Salt of Brentwood-Weale which I have experienced to encourage and increase this Disease The Water of the farther Well at Lambeth THIS Water in Taste came nearer common Pump Water agreed with the other Water in every Tryal as well by weight as otherwise only Syrup of Cloves did not wholly lose its Red neither did a drop of Spirit of Nitre restore it as it did in the other Whence it appears to be of a less Vitrioline Nature or not so affine to Sea-salt and so may be more fit for general drinking though not so satisfactory to the particular Intention The Purging Water of Alford in Somersetshire THIS Water is of kin to the other The Acidity not Volatile or alterable Gall and Lignum Nephâ—â—ticum gave it a very pale yellow but the Lignum Nephriticum somewhat deeper than the Gall or Saltpetre does With Tincture of Logwood an Amber colour like Glaubers Salt and Salt of Cellars and not far from that of Saltpetre With Gall and Iron it gave a right Purple colour as Mineral Acids and which Saltpetre does It differ'd from Saltpetre and seem'd between that and common Salt The Water of Brentwood-Weal in Essex AS Lambeth Water and Woodhamâ—Ferrys I have experienced specifically proper and effectual in Leprous Diseases so this is considerable in its opposite Nature which I have likewise experienced This Water is of Taste Lixiviate with a little Bitterness and not free of the maukish taste of the rest but not so nauseous as Epsam With Syrup of Violets it gave a full green as Alkalys with which it agreed in giving a dusky Gold colour near that or Malaga Sack with Lignum Nephriticum in turâ—ing thick and dark with Iron and Gall not black or blewish as Vitriols common Salt and Salt-petre and which precipitated as the blaâ—ks made with Alkalies And lastly in not precipitating fine Silver out of Spirit of Nitre more than fair Water will It distinguish'd it self from Vitriol and Alum in growing thick and whitish with Gall as Nitres of a mix'd nature do or Vitriols and common Water the same standing became a pale yellow which precipitated as it would in a Solution of Saltpetres second Salt or near the effect of common Salt It gave a Red with Tincture of Logwood as Cellar-salt but more red which Vitriol blackens and Alum purples With Syrup of Cloves it gave a dull pale with a blewish cast as Alkalies do but more like to Saltpetres second Salt With a Solution of Sublimate no alteration nor any change or Precipitation or disturbance in a Solution of Hungarian Vitriol in both which it agreed with a Vitriolick Salt as almost if not altogether all these do With a Deliquium of Salt of Tartar it coagulated extreamly hard like stone as the second Salt of Salt-Marine A Solution of Salt Saturni this Salt rendred white and thick like Milk in which it differ'd from Saltpetre which doth not disturb it and from Saltpetres second Salt which disturbs it but a little This Water in boyling threw up much of the Salt in the Scum as Sal Gem. doth and had some gross earthy white Flakes precipitated The Salt was white and shot in very small Stiriae or flat Bacilli most of them pointed some not these did not readily melt The Earth too was white and in great quantity being near a fourth part Some part of the Salt was stain'd yellow having some of the Soyl in it Some part of the Salt which was the last was not shot so discernably but was in hard lumps and seem'd to consist of a second Salt that is of a somewhat differing Nature This did differ from the other in making a greater Precipitation of fine Silver out of Spirit of Nitre and a greater Coagulation of the Liquor of Salt of Tartar The Salt wherewith this Water is impregnate appears to be a full Alkali and the deep red with Tincture of Logwood made with Spirit of Wine does not contradict it Alkalies giving not much deeper with that Tincture joyn'd with a hard coagulating Acid not of the Nature of common Salt but rather of Saltpetres second Salt And according to this Nature of it this Water will not keep sweet four days whereas the others will near three times that time That this should be injurious in Leprous cases is very 〈◊〉 telligible from its Alkalifateness to raise the Blood and ulcerate and its coagulative Acidity And it is observable that the Lambeth Water is exactly of the contrary Nature containing a Salt affine to Sea-salt but without the Severity of the Acid or coagulative Quality This Water of Brentwood I have experienced beneficial in Hypochondriacal cases particularly at the beginning But the difference of the Constitution of the Patient is necessaâ—â— to be consulted in order to the due Prescription of these as well as other Waters since either the different Nature of the Salt of the Blood or a peculiar Mechanism of the Body may make it lyable to receive great Alterations according to the Nature of the Salt This is clear in the present instance for whereas the Melancholy and dull Crasis of this Patients Blood made this a suitable Remedy yet I observed in another Gentlewoman of the same Years but of a Florid Sanguine Complexion this Water to be of so differing an Effect as to cause Violent Flushings of the Body and Face and an Obstruction of the Catamenia all which the Nature of the Salt accounts for Upminster Water in Essex WAS very clear of taste bitter with a sweetish nauseous taste In the quantity of nine Ounces six Drams and six Grains out-weigh'd common Water 55 Grains The Water curdled Oleum Tartari per deliquium but not very large nor very quickly curdled Spirit of Harts-horn strongly its Alkalisate nature appear'd in thickning a Depurated Solution of English Vitriol and much sooner a Solution of Hungarian and making a large Precipitation In taking a high yellow Tincture with Lignum Nephriticum near an Orange with Gall a Turbid dark and greenish which precipitated leaving the Liquor yellow in making an Effervescence with Oyl of Vitriol in giving a Claret-red with a Tincture of Logwood in fair water mix'd without heat in taking a dark sooty thick colour with Syrup of Cloves In the Verdigreese green with Syrup of Violets and in troubling a Solution of Silver in Spirit of Nitre not so effectually as common Salt It differ'd from Saltpetre in rendring a Solution of Sal Saturni milky It differs from Alkalies in that it makes no alteration in a Solution of Sublimate made in
fair water Barnet Water in Hartfordshire WAS very clear had much the taste of common Pump water but with an addition of bitterness though less than in the other in the quantity of ten Ounces this Water taken in Summer-time as were the others surmounted common water in weight near a Dram or within a Grain of a Dram. The Salt of this Water exactly answer'd a Salt Alkalisate particularly that of Chalk in all Tryals with Gall it became thick disturb'd and whitish not free of the yellow Tincture with Syrup of Violets a deep Verdigreese green with Syrup of Cloves a sooty dusky colour with Tincture of Logwood cold an Orange tawny with Lignum Nephriticum yellow and clear It rendred a Solution of Sal Saturni in common water milky It rendred a Solution of Mercury Sublimate milky It disturb'd and made thick a clear Solution of Hungarian Vitriol and did not precipitate fine Silver out of Spirit of Nitre The same in all these doth Salt of Chalk only Moreover this curdled the Deliquium of Salt of Tartar and also Spirit of Harts-horn but both fine Stretham VVater in Surry OF Odour sweetish of Taste it was nauseous and Saline not so bitter as Barnet taken at the same time and was lighter by ten Grains in seven Ounces and a half It answered the same Essâ—ys with Barnet water only with Syrup of Cloves a little more blew like common Salt or Saltpetres second Salt when near boyl'd up the Salt on the sides in the cold shot in long and flat Bacilli not ready to melt in heat and had the cold taste of Saltpetre but with a sweetness The bottom had three sorts some being flat broad and grained like common Salt and some soft like Epsam which had flakes in it four Scruples of Salt had about eighteen Grains of Earth the Earth and flakes were white and clearish they burnt white and Distill'd Vinegar wrought on it but did not take up any considerable quantity of it The Purging Chalybeat VVater of Scarbourgh in Yorkshire SCarbourgh Water is Chalybeat and Purges it has Qualifications of a Purging Water the Salt of it is figur'd approaching to a Nitre and which is really Nitrous and the Earth over the Spring shews the Nitrous Efflorescence that at other Purging Waters is an Index of the Earth whence the Salt is derived As Chalybeats it is a running Spring and proceeds from a Gravel and expos'd to the Air some days loses its power of making a black with Gall the Salt remaining being purely Nitrous It has the Virtue of both Waters and is sufficiently celebrated by the Frequenters of it And I hence conclude it to be either two Waters joyn'd or a Chalybeat Water washing a Nitrous Vault The Spring is upon the Sea-shore and flows from or near an Alum Mine It is observable that other Springs that flow over Alum Mines here in England yet differ not the least from common Water the black slaty stone not yielding the least Aluminous Taste before Ustion I shall clear it from partaking of Alum or Sea-salt by Tryals which will confirm my Account of the other Waters since it is clear of participating any thing with the Mine over which it runs and the Mine would probably discover any other Minerals joyn'd if such there were and the same Nitrous Earth here sound that is common to the others makes this more plain The proportion the nature of this Salt bears to the Nitre of common Water and true Nitres is discoverable by the quantity of time the Water retains its Ink-making quality Alkalies and so the true Nitre of the Ancients precipitate their dirty black presently The 〈◊〉 was examin'd at the Spring at my direction by the accurate hand of my worthy Friend and Ingenious Gentleman Mr. Edward Carter of Scarbourgh in whose own words I shall deliver their Tryals of them only adding to each a Corollary of the use I make of them Quest. 1. What Colour Nutgall gives it and whether Turbid or Clear Answ. A Grain of Gall strew'd upon the Surface of eight or ten Ounces of the Water doth without any farther mixing immediately strike a deep reddish purple colour which presently becometh turbid if you let the same stand all night the Water will in a manner recover its pristine clearness and a Powder of the colour of colcothar will precipitate to the bottom in a large quantity Or if a few drops of Spirit or Oyl of Vitriol be instill'd into the foresaid Tincture it will presently be clear as at first without the Precipitation of any Powder The reddish Purple is effected by Alkalisate parts united to the Acid distill'd Acids to the like but that the Salt of this Water is Nitrous is observable in its turbidness but chiefly in the Precipitation of the colour upon standing which Precipitation Spirit of Vitriol prevents though it destroys the colour Quest. 2. Has the Water any Scum or bituminous Film Answ. When it stagnateth in any place or stands a few hours in an open Glass there is an Azure colour'd bituminous Film or Scum upon it and if the same be expos'd to the Air for about a Week there is one riseth up much like that which swims upon Lime-water The first is common to Chalybeat waters which appears upon the separation of the Nitrous and Vitrioline parts by the Air but the latter a peculiar of the Salt which being not calcarious I judge to be of such a Quality as complies with the Corruption of the Water so far as to suffer its grosser parts to be thrown up which Lime-water does by the motion of its own active Salt so far it differs from those of the Nature of common Salt which preserve Liquors Weal water has the same Disposition Quest. 3. What Colour the Water kept three days in an open Glass will take with Nutgall turbid or clear Answ. Galls give it a colour then much as before yet something more remiss but if it stand longer as about a week they cause no such alteration changing it only into a milky colour like Barly water as Salt of common Earth does which is not Alkalisate Quest. 4. What Colour with Syrup of Violets Answ. A light Green which may be turn'd into a reddish Purple by adding some Spirit or Oyl of Vitriol To these Remarks I have added some which perhaps may not be unacceptable touching the quantity of Salt and stone Powder contained in those Waters its Taste Odour and Figure when Christallized According to my nearest Computation it hath about an Ounce in four Gallons and almost as much of the stone Powder which is of the colour of Sand made use of in Hour-glasses I never could discover any of the blew Clay which some pretend to have found The Salt hath a very remarkable Bitterness and when newly made a strong sulphurous Smell The Christals are very clear and transparent comprehended under eight plains two of which are Sexangular and the other six are Rectangular Parallelograms which are disposed
after this manner The sides are constituted of the two Sexangular Planes alternately interpos'd to two of the largest Parallelograms each side standing at right Angles with the other The ends are terminated by the four lesser Parallelograms inclining to each other from the Extremities or lesser sides of the lateral Parallelograms as the two Lines mark'd with the points and dash Thus I have described the Form of it as intelligibly as I can in words but because a Figure will help to explain what hath been said and be a means to represent the Idea better to the Understanding I shall endeavour to give you the best Delineation I can Half of the Planes or Surfaces may be represented thus but the other which are opposite must be supplied by the Imagination a exactly represents one of the Sexangular Planes which hath another like it directly opposite c b d do shew the Proportions of the greater and lesser Parallelograms but they cannot be represented Rectangular in the Scheme as indeed they are as was mentioned above the sides a and b do stand at right Angles and so do the sides opposite to them Thus ◠b. Thus far is the Account received in the Gentleman's Letter dated Scarbourgh June 22. 1697. Some Christals of the Salt of this Water with the Earth or stony Powder of it I received since from the same hand The Salt was clear and uniform or single and not an aggregate consisting of Bacilli or Columns nor plected as the Alum there produced appears the Figure was the same now describ'd only one of the ends was not so exact being a little broken and the Christal in bulk hardly amounted to half the measure of the Figure This Salt precipitated not fine Silver out of Spirit of Nitre as Sea-salt and our Rock-salt does do yet disturb'd not a Solution of Sublimate which Alkalies and Nitres do and which Alum thickens and whitens A few drops of this Salt dissolv'd in fair Water rendred a Solution of Sal Saturni white as milk which Saltpetre does not disturb It curdled Ol. Tartari per deliquium but not so strongly as Epsam Salt The Salt inflam'd not upon a hot Iron though with Brimstone added nor was very fluxile ☞ In Sum The Salt partakes not of either Alum or Sea-salt but is Nitrous not of the Nature of Saltpetre or its second Salt nor so Alkalisate as to discover it self in Sublimate Water or to give a deep Green with Syrup of Violets but which allows a mixture with Vitriols and is not so Alkalisate or full of Nitre as to precipitate but near that imperfect one of our common Earth and which is not so fix'd as to keep in one state or Solution of it in Water but hinders not if not promotes the Fermentation or intestine Motion of the Liquor which it clears by throwing up a Scum For as far as appears to me Salts that have a Solidity and yet a disposition to Fermentation that in burning throw up a Scum rather than precipitate as the Salt of Weal Water and that that stagnates on rich common Earth does among the Nitrous sort It would be advantageous to the discovery or distinguishing of the Nature and Virtue of this Salt to put some up in a Bottle with Sack which is a Wine that makes no Tartar to observe whether a Precipitation would result only to Fine it or a Fermentation or disturbance would be renewed The Propriety of this Water consists in the middle nature of the Salt which keeps thick with Galls as the Salts that Vitriols embody with effect which are not purely of the nature of common Salt yet is so familiar to Vitriol as not to disimbrace soon beside the Chalybeat parts and its less volatile Acidity The Chalybeat Purging Water of Woodham-Ferrys in Essex THE Earth cast out of this Well contain'd many discolour'd Parcels of mellower Earth the colours of which were two that of Brimstone and a Ferrugineous and which yielded Iron upon Essay when only well wash'd And as at Epsam these Veins attend the Selenites so the same stone is plentifully found here most of them were in one half resembling the Rhomboid the other had a differing Figure by the declining of the two opposite grand Planes till they determin'd at an edge which was Semicircular as in the Figure In parcels of this Loam inclos'd I found great plenty of Vermicular bodies which were mere Iron of which Metal one Tubulus Marinus and several pieces I brought away with me and reserve The stone or imperfect Marcasite which I call Lapis Lutosovitriolicus here had many shining Particles in it and consisted of Parcels divided by a thin Wall of Gypsum or Trichitis and precipitated some Iron when dissolved in Aqua fortis and diluted with fair Water The Water was clear of Taste Chalybeat but had more of the nauseous sweetish taste of the Purging Waters not void of Bitterness with Gall a thick Purple as Saline Chalybeats In the quantity of nine Ounces five Drams and 24 Grains exceeded common Water in weight thirteen Grains It chang'd not the colour of Syrup of Violets it took not away the colour of Syrup of Cloves which Alkalies do by inducing a sooty or green and common Salt by rendring it pale and cloudy It agreed with Vitriols and common Salt in making no alteration in a Solution of English and German Vitriol nor in a Solution of Mercury Sublimate yet curdled not much or large with Spirit of Sal Armoniack and less with Spirit of Harts-horn and with Spirit of Nitre suffer'd no alteration with Logwood infus'd a Purple but more toward a Red or Murry Note I used in this Experiment the Water when boyl'd high toward a Salt The Salt differ'd from Saltpetre in rendring a Solution of Sal Saturni milky it precipitated a Solution of fine Silver in Spirit of Nitre immediately as common Salt yet made with Liquid Salt of Tartar but a fine curdle with Lignum Nephriticum a pale yellow and thick as common Salt with Iron and Gall infus'd a right blew Ink and which did not precipitate The Kensington Water gave a more red black and which soon fell and with Lignum Nephriticum a clear high yellow near an Orange This Water of Woodham-Ferrys did not precipitate any Ferrugineous parts or Okar upon its losing its power of Tinging with Galls Then the Water with Gall took a yellow tolerably clear but not purely clear of disturbance near the effect of common Salt The Salt of this Water comes near common Salt Bay Salt with Gall giving a reddish cloudiness as the other a Vitrioline or mix'd one The simplicity of the Salt appears in the colour and clearness with Gall. It precipitated a ruddy Earth in boyling which distill'd Vinegar wrought on with great Effervescence The Salt seem'd of two sorts the first being hard not readily flowing in heat and grain'd and crackling a little in the Fire and leaping Some flat shoots like Saltpetres Bacillis The Earth contain'd
Metalline Parts and Nature and in differing Climates is advanc'd toward an Alkalisat or Urinous Salt in proportion to the Heat of the Country and Situation of the Soil And I never found any Metalline Bodies or Juyces yet but what were embrac'd in Stone or Loam and not in Clays 4. Hence Waters that wash this upper Soil or Rivers and Springs that lye in Clays are Saline Gravelly Waters yield little besides some stony parts unless they have wash'd off some Salt from Neighbouring Soils which discovers its Original in the Essays 5. Not to take notice of the Qualities of Humecting or Moistning c. the most considerable Affection of Water is that it is void of Elasticity and igneous Particles and unapt to Fermentation Yet these Observations of mine I offer not otherwise than to submit them for better Judgment and Experience to inquire into The Waters under Examination are the Saline namely The Purging ones and the Acidulae or Chalybeat ones Of these first PART I. Of the Chalybeat Waters of England THE Chalybeat Waters are preferable not only for Antiquity of Discovery but also for Virtue being an effectual Refuge for many deplorable Diseases that no other Remedy prevails in They are quick Springs ever flowing in a Sand or Gravel I shall first state their Characteristicks or Signs by which they are distinguish'd from other Waters and then explain those Circumstantial Signs and their Reasons in an account of their Nature Their Characteristicks are 1. To shew the Mineral they bear which is Steele in their Taste and with Galls to evidence it in the blew or purplish black Colour proper to Vitriols of Iron as also by dropping a Ferrugineous Ocre at the Spring 2. The second is The Lightness of the Spirit that holds the Tincture which vanishes upon exposing to the Air and leaves the Water without the Mineral Tincture The lightness of this Spirit so affects those Waters of this kind that are more void of Salt as to render them lighter than Rain-water distill'd 3. The Spring ever proceeds from a Rock usually consisting of gravelly Stones cemented together 4. If it joyn any other common Water immediately near the Fountain it thence incrusts the Stones and Sticks which it washeâ— with a Mortar-like crust The notice of this Incrustation has made many Learned Men and particularly Domâ— Panarolus erroneously to entertain an ill Opinion of the Water because as he observed in that four Miles from Rome extra Portam hostiensem vulgo S. Pauli of the stony Matter the Water leaves where it passes and this through the Mistake that this Matter is in the Water at the Spring 5. To bear an Oyly or Bituminous Film on it like a Scum 6. To give a Green upon the Mixture of Syrup of Violets These Waters differ on account of the Salt of the Water in the Quantity or Quality of it or proportion of the Steel they bear and so may not have the second Qualification which is proper to the simple ones For the Nature and Reason of these Waters we must examine these particulars not only since most of them are the Indexes but also are effected by the Essential Properties of these Waters and shew the Metalline parts and the Nature of the Menstruum or Spirit The Metal is evident from the blew black they take with Galls from the Taste and lastly the Okar which it casts out at the opening of the Spring which calcin'd with Salt and expos'd to the Air shews none of the Verdigreese Colour that Hungarian Vitriol gives upon the same Trial. The Menstruum or Spirit is a distinct thing from the Salt of them and of a differing Original being contrary in Nature not held by it and being found in those Waters that want the Salt for the Salt of those that have any is wash'd from the Earth by the Water and the Spirit is only a Steam that comes along with the Gravel The Spirit or Menstruum that bears this Tincture is Volatile and continues not with the Water many hours scarce well one in the light sort though well cork'd up What effect Hermetick Seal might have I never had encouragement to attempt as never believing that a fair Trial where the power of the Fire came so near and so naked and the Chalybeat Waters that abound with Salt are often Nitrous and so may mortifie the Spirituous Acid which may make it in vain look'd for in the Receiver This I mention for caution sake for that this Spirit is Volatile yet that it can be detain'd by a cover of Oyl for ten days I lately try'd with a Light Chalybeat at Felstead The Original of this Vapour is pointed out to be low and to proceed with all Gravel as is evident in free Springs that upon laying Iron at the Eruption of them will Tinge with Galls which power the Water loses at a Rods distance but in these it is less in Quantity The Nature of this Spirit is Vitriolick They disturb not a Solution of Sublimate in fair Water and with Lignum Nephriticum thicken a little with a Cloud but do not the least change yellowish as pump-Pump-water and Nitrous but near that of a Solution of Vitriol or its Spirit upon the same though scarce so clear because all these Waters have a touch of the Salt of the Soyl as appears in the green with Syrup of Violets They all likewise render a Solution of Sal Saturni in fair Water milky by which the Spirit is distinguish'd from Saltpetre or its Spirit Note That though these Tryals are fairly made only in the lighter simpler Waters in order to make a Judgment of them yet they hold in the heavier Waters except that Tryal with Lignum Nephriticum in which they discover their Salt by the yellow colour they give Now the Nature of Salt of Vitriol appears upon examination to differ very little from common Salt if any thing more than in the Qualities impress'd in it by the Metal and it is worth our notice that Vitriols and Nitres precipitate each other being the Product of two several Regions which will enlighten to the Understanding the next Particulars observ'd to attend these Waters The Earth and Soyl of these Springs is ever a Sand or Gravel and the Water issues from or rather makes a Rock of cemented Stones which are never to be found but where the Water is Vitriolick This sort of Rock is open to view at Tunbridge and has never yet fail'd where the Ground in which these Springs are found has been open'd as at Notly Felstead and other lesser Springs I am apt to think that Iron may have a particular Qualification for the cementing of Earth and Stone but that I may follow my subject more closely I shall only consider it as the next Particular illustrates it These Waters when they joyn another Water at least a gravelly one e'er they have ran so far as to lose their Spirit precipitate a Mortar-like substance wherewith they incrust the
Stones and Sticks they pass over That this stony Matter is precipitated out of other Waters which flow into it by the Virtue of this Water and proceeds not from the Chalybear Water it self beside the Argument that may be drawn from the Lightness in weight of the Chalybeat appears fully demonstrated at many Springs indeed at all where the rill of common Water runs along the side of the Soyl whence the Chalybeat issues especially when it is in a Meadow as it was at Felstead where I first observ'd it no Incrustation or Precipitation of stony Matter being to be found either in the Meadow where the Chalybeat lyes or above before the other Water joyns it The Water I now nam'd is one of the light sort being near ten Grains in seven Ounces lighter than common Water and the Water that joyns it a hard gravelly one which with Tincture of Logwood gave a Rasberry red as Acids which is not amiss to mention The Reason which I intimated above to be from the differing Natures of Nitres and Vitriols may help make this intelligible The Lightness in weight of the Chalybeat Waters that as they are void of Salt may properly enough be said to be more simple is owing to the same Cause and proves the same thing being not from difference of the Season as is usually judg'd which can never make it lighter than even that Rain-water distill'd that must render it so but from the Depuration it has receiv'd by the Precipitation of the Earthy parts And the Property is the same by which these Waters even in Human or Animal Bodies Cure the Stone by removing the Disposition to it as well as early Precipitation of the Matter and this Virtue in the Waters is so constant as to have made them Famous in this particular The last considerable Sign and Attendant of these Waters is the Bituminous Scum appearing on them how far the fatness of the Earth of these Waters is assisting in separating this Spirit or whether it is the Effect of it is not plain nor very material to learn That it is of the Nature of common Salt to assist in the Separation of Oyly parts is evident in pickling Roses and distilling Oyls but whether it be from this or the Putridness of the Soyl and Earth I shall submit and leave These Waters differ not only in Degrees of Hardness and Coldness which is best taken notice of in the Examination of each Water but may be distinguish'd into these two Heads 1. The Light ones which have more of the Spirituous Parts of the Vitrioline Spirit and more Simply 2. The Heavy ones that contain a Salt approaching to a Nitre or is Nitrous Of the Heavy ones first and then I ascend to the Lighter which thereby may be illustrated The First Class Chalybeat Waters that contain a Nitrous Salt and equal at least common Water in weight THE Salt of these Waters I conclude to be owing to the Soyle because it is found to be of the same Nature and has some Differences but those being small I omit and forbear insisting upon them In the general Design of the use of Chalybeats these Nitrous Waters are not so Effectual and the more Nitrous the worse by which I mean the more Alkalisat which is easily prov'd by the early Precipitation of the Black and the change towards a Green which is the Effect of Alkalys with Ink though at first they change the Blew Black into a Purple The Characteristick Notes of these Waters beside the weight are to drop the Inky colour they receive with Gall to take a high colour with Lignum Nephriticum and when the Water has stood to be effete it will not precipitate Silver out of Spirit of Nitre I have not found any of this kind so fully Nitrous or Alkalisat as to trouble a Solution of Sublimate much less to precipitate it Yellow both which indeed are inconsistent with Vitriols nor any that bear a Salt of the Nature of Saltpetre A Water in a Field adjoyning to the Right Honourable the Earl of Manchester's Place at Leez in Essex THis Spring is in a Gravel and is so small as to be considerable only in that it is in a breeding Pond This Water disturbs not a Solution of Sublimate in fair Water it render'd milky a Solution of Sal Saturni by which it distinguish'd it self from Saltpetre but yet not much more than Saltpetres second Salt does With Lignum Nephriticum it gave a pale Yellow and not fine exactly the colour of small Beer which at four days end precipitated so as to leave just the top of the Liquor clear The Water kept till it had lost its Spirit and with that its power of striking black with Gall which was 24 hours essay'd with Gall was thick and dirty white which precipitated in the former Experiment shewing an Affinity with common Salt in this with Nitrous It is much of the weight of common Water and takes a blew black with Galls The Water at Witham in Essex in Sir Edward Southcot's Ground WITH Gall a deep Purple turning to Ink not very clear and with Lignum Nephriticum a faint dull reddish I judged this to have more of the nature of the Salt of common Water and that the Spirit of this Water to be a little finer than the other sort which give a direct Black with Gall because distill'd Acids give this Red. The Red that Alkalys give turns greenish upon standing these Waters are all inclin'd to the same The Chalybeat Water of Knarsborough in Yorkshire KNarsborough Water as Dr. French relates is of a Vitrioline Taste and Odour The Water riseth in a moorish boggy Ground within less than half a Mile from which there is no considerable Ascent and springeth directly up from the Sandy bottom It is of the same weight with common Spring Water The colour with Syrup of Violets is much the same as in the Chalybeat Waters at Islington and Hamstead not so intense as in Tunbridge or the German Spa as the Learned Dr. Tancred Robinson my Informer prov'd it at the Spring And as this colour is not so deep as that made by Vitriols so the residuous dark colour'd Earth after Evaporation was insipid The pitch of the Volatility of the Spirituous part of this Water is observable in that it tinctur'd with Powder of Galls at two days end and suffer'd not by Warming yet lost that Quality wholly in Distilling Neither does this Water coagulate Milk The Redness that this Water takes with Galls is effected by spirituous or distill'd Acids unmix'd with gross Salt of the Soyle of a Forreign Nature which would disturb the Colour and the larger Proportion of the Acid to the Steel or the very small quantity of the last may effect it But the Quantity of the Acid Spirit must be judg'd here to be considerable For the Nature of the Acidity I have before distinguish'd it by the Effects and so need here only observe it to be Vitrioline
their Virtue two hours which yet will scarce be lost in ten days if headed with Oyl They all give a purplish Red with Galls which upon standing a while turns to a purplish Black Tunbridge Water in Kent THIS Water gives a deep Green with Syrup of Violets as Vitriols do and in the quantity of about seven Ounces and a quarter weigh'd ten Grains lighter than a river-River-water near me which was lighter than Spring-water and as much lighter than Rain-water and about four Grains lighter than the German Spaw to which it is preferable on that account The Ground above and about this Spring is a cemented Rock and the Spring is large of long use and much celebrated and frequented Wellenborow VVater in Northampton-shire THIS Water weigh'd at the Spring eighteen Grains lighter than common Water in a quantity of about twelve Ounces with a few drops of Tincture of Logwood gave a Black with Syrup of Violets a deep Green with Syrup of Cloves blackish with Galls a Violet Islington VVater THIS Water as the rest makes no Alteration in a Solution of Sublimate and with Sal Saturni dissolv'd in fair Water became milky a little and a little curdled and not clear as with a Saltpetre with Lignum Nephriticum it remain'd pale but clouded a little with a thickish dusky White near a Rain-water and weigh'd two Grains lighter than Tunbridge Water in the same quantity which I thought might be owing to the difference of the Season Felstead VVater in Essex THIS Water lies in a Moor the bottom whereof is a cemented Rock the Earth where the Spring rises is Fat and Bituminous or Unctuous and very Ferrugineous no Incrustation in the boggy Hole where the Water stands but the Water that passes through the Meadow begins to incrust as it touches this Ground It is of the same weight exactly with Tunbridge it becomes milky with a Solution of Sal Saturni and with Lignum Nephriticum suffer'd no stain but only a milky cloud swimming in it This is but a small Spring scarce more than a Land-drain Of the Virtues of the Chalybeat VVaters THE Virtues of Steel are so very great and large and in many cases so contrary as not to be explain'd by what are grosly call'd the first second or third Qualities but to help us to a Notion of them we must consider the Essence of this Mineral in its Affections that are apparent And thus we may conceive of it as a hard body of the Mineral Kingdom and so qualifi'd with Firmness which is apt to enrich the Blood being easily convertible into Fat or Sulphur the nature of whose Sulphur is to preserve Fluid Bodies and the Temper of whose Acid Spirit is such as raises and yet restrains or rather adjusts the Fermentation of our Stomach Soluble Friendly to our Nature and some-how Correspondent to the Mechanism of the Air we live in by its Magnetism and then we may intelligibly add the more Simple and other evident Qualities as cooling potential Heat Drying Balsamick or Healing Quality c. which I shall take notice of under these Heads in these Waters 1. They Invigorate the Blood and Juyces as a Chalybeat 2. They Astringe 3. They Incide and Attenuate by their Acidity 4. The Acidity is Connatural and agreeable to the Ferment of the Stomach and other Offices which these Waters promote 5. On the same account and partly in that it is Sulphurous it is a Fraenum or Curb to Fermentations and Flatulencies and performs more effectually what Oxycrate does in the Vapours in Women and Spirit of Sulphur or Vitriol in Men whence the Acid seems adjusted to the Temper of our Bodies which can preserve the just Fermentations as it destroys or reduces Exorbitant ones 6. They depurate the Juyces of forreign or grosser parts lodg'd with the Nourishment in the Body as is evident in the Stone which is but the same thing which they effect in gravelly Waters at their Springs 7. The Acid being Spirituous passes where other Medicines cannot and so are Diuretick and Exterminate and discharge the offensive Matter by Urine and the rest it Volatilizes 8. The Vehicle of this Mineral and Spirit is not apt to Elasticity or Fermentation And on the account of these Qualifications the Chalybeat Waters warm strengthen heal open Obstructions absterge invigorate and thus are capacitated to stop Fluxes of all sorts and remove many Diseases among which the Stone and Affectio Hypochondriaca stand at the Head But although all the sorts of Chalybeat Waters have some Qualifications in common as to invigorate the Blood and cleanse the Viscera yet as they differ in their Salt so likewise in their Virtues which I shall particularly treat of The Virtues of the Acidulae Which Name I would make proper to those Waters that are lightly Chalybeat THese have a fine Acidity not collectible into a Salt the residue upon Distilling being an Insipid Ferrugineous Earth and as I said before give only a Claret red with Gall. That which is proper to this sort of the Chalybeat Waters is That they are free of any gross Salt and have plenty of a Vitrioline Acid with little of the body of the Steel and that Acid more fix'd than in the light Chalybeats In order to understand the Benefit of this I shall observe that there are Cases that require a Water so qualifi'd either on the Score of the Distemper or Constitution of the Patient such as we commonly call Complexion in which a quantity of Steel may do more harm than the Vitrioline Spirit can do good And this must be allow'd me to be in all Cases and Persons where the Blood offends in quantity Floridness and Fluxilness by every one that observes the power Steel has to heat and invigorate the Blood in the Chlorosis And when I consider the opposite Nature of Chalybeat Acids and Nitrous Salts as I observed before I fansie I have a clear Reason for all this One Case that the Body of Steel agrees not in is that Indisposition of fresh-colour'd florid-complexion'd Persons about the last grand Climacterick as I call that of 49 who are liable to Fluxes of Blood or great Tumultuations of it It is very easie to discover the Alkalisat state of the Blood in aged Persons by only tasting the Urine which in those grows almost Caustick The Diseases that this sort of Water is a peculiar in are Apoplexies Phrensies and Fluxes of Blood and because the first of these is a Distemper that has strangely rag'd of late and extraordinarily this last Winter beyond what has been observ'd perhaps ever before to explain the reason of it so much as to give light to the Effect of these Waters may be no unacceptable a Digression Of the Apoplexy THE Reason of an Apoplexy and the Cause of so sudden a Deprivation of Life that great Judge the Prince of Physicians Hippocrates resolves into a Stagnation or Station of the Blood whereby all Motion and Action of the Spirits is taken away
prove the Salt of these Waters to be the genuine and natural Product of these Principles To all which add That the Purging and Medicinal Qualities resides in the Salt and that the open nature of Clays would discover any Mineral or Metal concern'd and not conceal more than we may observe That we may understand whence or to what is this Salt owing the Original of the Salt and nature both of the Earth and Juyces concern'd in the Production of it I proceed now to examine the Principles The Principles or Ingredients that impregnate the Purging Waters examin'd HAving thus traced the Production of this Salt and determin'd it to the Earth through which the Wells are sunk and Mineral Stone or Juyce contain'd in these Stones we come now to examine these their Nature and what parts of these enter the Composition or how they are concern'd in the Production of this Salt And upon due Essays of these Earths and Stones we shall find in general an Earth rich of Salt Chalybeat or Ferreous parts a Mineral Juyce out of which this Salt seems form'd and we may observe the Salt of the upper Soile somewhat concern'd in and that on the Varieties of the two last the Varieties of the Waters do depend And these I shall enquire into as to their Original and Nature The Earth in which these Wells are and which yields this Salt is a Loamy Clay more mellow and more of a Clay toward the Surface but more loamy toward the bottom The inner Earth is such as our Tiles are made of at Richmond at Epsam they dig both Brick and Tyle Earth too as I remember out of the Hill yielding these Springs So I need not describe the Earth it being known that the ponderous close and fat is used for Tiles and the looser for Bricks The colour of these Earths vary a little and though usually Brown yet in some that colour is brightned near a Gray The Earth of these Springs is sound of these two kinds constantly either a meer Clay of the same face to the bottom as are the Wells where the Salt is Christalliz'd or firm and figur'd or the same Clay mix'd with Veins of Iron and pleasantly Acid Juyce like Spirit of Vitriol and interspersed with Selenites which are form'd in it The Wells where they dig only a pure loamy Clay ever toward the bottom which is seldom more than twelve Feet and I think never more than twenty in depth receives the Water from the sides issuing from between the Stones before describ'd and nothing besides is observable in these Wells Now not only the face and figure of the Salt but its Nature likewise acknowledge this Earth as its natural Patent and all is confirm'd in the manner of its Production The form of the Salt of the Wells usually resembles the Salt shot about them upon the Surface of the Earth which at some is in Stiriae at some appears only like a soft mould The Nature of it is middle between a Nitre and a Vitriol which agrees well with the Earth it is form'd of Nitrous Earths requiring slackning in the open Air. And the manner of the Production of this Salt is fully as agreeable to this account for it is not only at these Wells that this sort of Earth shoots this Nitrous Efflorescence but at all other places it is observable as frequently in Ditches and where-ever it is cast up by the Tile makers and which is worth a Remark as discovering the Reason or Manner of its Production it is to be noted That this Efflorescence appears only where the Air is moist or damp and confin'd This I observe not only to account for the Production of this Salt in Subterraneous Channels but also for the difference of the Salt of the Water from that shooting on the Surface that the Salt of the Water is more Fusil and retains more of the Acid part of the Salt which is collected in proportion to the Closeness and the Moistness or Coldness of the place And as a further Illustration and proof of what I assert I shall give the Reader one or two Essays of Loam taken from common Pits for the making of Tiles which prove that this Earth contains a Salt that may be extracted and hint the manner of its Extraction For although no Loam yields any Salt to an Infusion of boyling Water yet I found that Water sharpened with Oyl of Vitriol or common Salt or Spirit of Salt would extract a Salt and which is yet more that Lime water would slacken it and make it yield one I shall give the Examen of Loam opened by Spirit of Nitre and Spirit of Vitriol Loam Water made by Infusion of common Water sharpned with Spirit of Nitre gave with Tincture of Logwood a pale dusky Tawny Gall a faint blewish Black not thick Syrup of Cloves a dusky Red and palish Sal Absynthii a white curdle which easily dissolv'd in washing and left little Earth Syrup of Violets a bright Red. It differ'd little in taste from what the Spirit of Nitre gave Loam Water two Pounds with Spirit of Vitriol two Drams infused a Week had the maâ—kish taste of the Purging Waters With Tincture of Logwood a sooty dusky colour a little reddish Syrup of Cloves a red not bright Sal Absynthii a white Curdle not easily soluble Syr. of Violets a purplish Red. Sublimate Water no alteration Loam Water made with common Salt With Tincture of Logwood a bright Red. The Salts of these Infusions were collected by evaporating I shall note that these Infusions will detect some Ferrugineous parts in Loam and which seem separated in the Selenitical Earth rather than added The Salt that these Loamy Clays yield as it is of a common Origine with that of common Earth or upper Soile so it seems to vary much on that account with the neighbouring Earth but that this should be so very rich in generating it must be from the more Saline Nature of this Earth or from plenty of some Menstruum to extract it the first may be from the continuation of this Earth with the grand Matrix which in others in intercepted by Lays of Gravel or the like The latter may be from Juyce which is in a sort Vitrioline And the closeness of this Clay does much contribute to this Collection as well as the coldness of it But the Nature of this Juyce comes next to be examin'd under the Essay of the Stones which are Parcels of this Loamy Earth The Stones then which are the proper Index of these Wells and which from their Nature are apt to receive Mineral or Metalline parts must be supposed to contain part of the Ingredients at least of this Salt The Stones I prov'd severally from the several Wells whence I took them my self the Hydrostatical weight of which with some other Essays I shall more conveniently place at the end of this Account I proved them by Ustion or Roasting by Calcination by Sublimation by
or of the Nature of Spirit of Vitriol which is Essential to the Precipitations Marks-Hall Water in Essex THIS Water joyning another in crusts as do the rest it is much the same with the preceding containing little Steel but a large share of an Acid not so Fugitive as where it is in less quantity or ill coupled with a Salt It gave a bright Red a very little purplish not so deep as the preceding The Colour it advanc'd with Gall it lost again two days after without Precipitation of any Ferrugineous parts in which it differs from other Chalybeats It rendred a Solution of Sal Saturni troubled but not very milky much as the rest and it tinctur'd a high Yellow with Lignum Nephriticum as do Nitres and a little clouded It weigh'd likewise as the other just the weight of common Water Ilmington Water in Warwickshire THIS Water of Ilmington being of the same heavy kind and which as I observe above require less Accuracy I shall give the Examination of it out of Dr. Derham's Account of it With Syrup of Violets it turned Green with Galls Purple like Martial Vitrioline Waters It exceeded common Water in weight near half a Dram in a Pint being weigh'd in a dry Season Indeed it is much the heaviest of this kind in England for it purges not as he informs us p. 53. but by Urine However That it cannot vie with the lighter Chalybeats in Virtue I shall explain in treating of their Virtues The Water in an open Bottle drop'd its Ocre and with that its power of Tinging with Galls in twelve hours time that is a great part of it which it did not begin to do in a Bottle well stop'd under a Fortnight p. 88. It yielded a Salt of an irregular shape upon the residue after distilling Acid Spirits wrought with great Effervescence and not Alkalysat p. 82. The Salt was pale and would not flagrate p. 60. nor coagulate Milk p. 77. The Earth like Red Ocar and is contain'd in great quantity a Quart yielding near a Spoonsul It appears hence that the Salt of this Water is of an Alkalisat Nature and that it differs from the Salt of Fat Mellow or Loamy Earths which Purge as we shall find in the latter part of this History Aylesham Water in the County of Norfolk THIS Water is in a Gravel it has prevail'd in Fame and Resort over Oulton Water in the same County which is a lighter and far more effectual Water partly from the more convenient Situation of the place and partly from the wrong Estimate that is made of Chalybeat Waters by those that jndge of their Goodness by the depth of their Tinging with Galls It is heavier a little than ordinary Gravel Water with Galls or Oken leaves takes a blew black and makes a direct Ink as do those Waters whose Salt has somewhat of the Nature of common Salt That the Metalline parts of these Waters are purely Chalybeat I inform'd my self not in all but in some as that at Leez and some other smaller ones by exposing to the Air the subsident Okar lightly calcin'd with Sea-salt which would discover Copper if any were in it and besides by the colour they give upon Tryals with Gall the blew black colour being proper to Vitriol of Iron The lesser Springs of this kind are very numerous in Gravelly Countries scarce a Village without one upon the preceding Instances of them I shall make Observation of their differences and the Classes they must be reduc'd into whereinto yet I did not adventure to digest them lest in the Sense of others the difference should appear only gradual These weighty Waters are either 1. the more pure and simple Acidulae which bear less of the Steel retain their Acidity longer and have not their colour with Gall dark or disturbâ—d as the other sort nor contain any Salt collectible of this sort seems Knaresborough and which is yet the higher of this kind Marks hall Water which gives a thin and bright Red with Gall scarce beyond a Rasberry and loseeh its quality of Tinging without Precipitation of Okar is of a pleasing acid Taste as it were winy and yet gives not the proof with Lignum Nephriticum that Vitriols do or Spirit of Salt but thickish reddish and cloudy as the Seminitrous Salt shot in Cellars Or 2ly Atramentous which give a full Black with Gall and with respect to the colour they give they are either blewish or reddish the reddish as that at Wittham kept a Week will be thickish and turbid with Gall but disturb not a Solution of fine Silver in Spirit of Nitre which the Leez Water which gives a blew black being more related to common Salt did in a great measure precipitate Another difference that is considerable in these Waters is the bulk or quantity of Salt they contain as the Illmington Water proves which is not only much heavier than other Waters but varies in its Effects and equally to the grossness of the Salt neither reaches the recesses of Nature so far nor passes so well To obviate some Objections I shall observe that the Reason why these Waters which are equally with the other sort capacitated to precipitate the earthly parts out of gravelly Water are not likewise equally qualified with Lightness by the same Vitrioline Spirit is because the Salt of these Waters is so far Vitrioline as to be apt to joyn a Chalybeat Acid and consist with it but yet to be separated by Heat and is in some small measure of Nature the same with that which is an Ingredient in Vitriols for the Liquor of Vitriols if boyl'd with too great a Fire will precipitate their Ferrugineous parts which the Boylers cure by adding more Iron to it And these Waters after they have drop'd the Okar and cease to tinge Galls with Iron will become Atramentous again the first Alteration being chiefly perform'd by the Mortification of the Esurine Salt by the Nitrous For besides the Argument drawn from the not abiding of the Steel in these Waters the Nitrous Nature of the Salt is conspicuous in its high colour it takes with Lignum Nephriticum which Vitriols give not nor do the light Chalybeat Waters that proceed from a Ground where the Soyl is Fat and Bituminous as I observ'd that at Felstead to be and which yields little or no Salt Of the Waters that are Light and purely Chalybeat I Have clear'd the Reason of the Lightness of these Waters and with that have asserted the Nature of the Spirit to be Vitrioline since all those Waters are found to be so where these Incrustations are found And as the weighty Waters take a full high yellow Tincture from Lignum Nephriticum so this light sort take no slain with the same Wood but retain their colour only disturb'd with a light white Cloud flying in it Lignum Nephriticum makes no alteration in a Solution of Vitriol nor in Water sharpened with Oyl of Vitriol These Waters do not well conserve
Cap. 5. Part 2. dug in Marle pits These are less transparent and as a Species of Gypsum may be called Selenites Gypseus To the second sort which I take only to be the proper Selenites belong those of these Purging Wells This distinction I think necessary to be observed for though I am inclinable to believe that the Waters wherein the others are found may Purge yet the Selenites as they are related to another sort of Stone and have some variety in the Matrix may vary reasonably enough in their Qualities as the Talceus being produced at a Stone-Quarry the Waters can scarce be supposed to want the Coldness or Hardness such Quarries are wont to communicate And so of the rest The Origine of the Salt of these Waters appears most evidently in the Salt of this Species or sort of them which I shall therefore inquire into by examining the Reason of their Production and compare with the Salt that is nearest in resemblance The Salt contain'd in the Waters which I call Selenitical hath these Qualities or Properties peculiar to them To be soft and melt in the warmth of a Hand to be unfigur'd and â—ret the parts of Excretion besides the middle Nature of it and its being void of Corrosiveness which are common to the other sort In its Softness and Fluxilness Nature and Manner of Production it exactly resembles the Salt that damp Cellars produce and is fix'd in the middle to Cobwebs being the steam of the Earth and more liquid part of what is extracted from it and flows in the moist Air there condens'd And no known Salt in Nature hath the Quality of running in so easie a Heat beside the Selenitical but that And as this confirms its Original so the Reason it further complies with this Account For this soft Salt in these Wells is the flowing part of the Matter produced in them the more solid Particles and figurable being detain'd at the Loam and employ'd in forming the Selenites Now that the Lime-stone which is concern'd in this Production naturally effects this separation by shooting the more dense parts is evident in the use of it to precipitate Metalline parts but more plainly in boiling Sugars The slackning quality of this chalky or limy Salt I hinted before to agree with the Earth of these Wells and it is to be noted That the Salt of the Selenitical is accordingly more uniform not so thickning with Gall nor varying so much towards Nitres and Vitriols as the others do but nearer the Spirit So I conclude the Salt of these Purging Waters of a middle Nature between Nitres and Vitriols and form'd out of the Loam by the help of a Vitrioline Juyce or liquid Salt and collected in moist Cavities The Tryal of the Stones THE Stone which I have before describ'd and is common to all the Wells hath when broke the Loam hardned and is invested with a Gypsum or Trichitis Richmond stone is of a light colour and pale near an Ash-colour not divided by the Gypsum but coated with it some Ferrugineous stains were in one piece In the Air weigh'd two Ounces and 50 Grains on the Water one Ounce two Drams and 26 Grains Epsam a more lax stone like a hardned clod incrusted with a grey chalky coat which Acids wrought on with Ebullition but did not slack in the Water weigh'd in the Air two Ounces and 47 Grains in the Water one Ounce one Dram and 26 Grains Dulwich a darker stone and very hard as Flint and inclin'd to a greenish in the body of it in several places and the Cellulae smaller than Woodham-Ferrys or Harwich or any yet observ'd by me where not greenish it had many sparkles of shining small Particles and when beaten fine was whiter than any In the Air two Ounces and 47 Grains in the Water one Ounce two Drams and 39 Grains and a half Woodham-Ferrys Cells as the former but larger the body oft greenish where expos'd to the Air else Loam-like but the Gypsum seem'd to have penetrated the body of the stone In the Air two Ounces and 46 Grains and a half in the Water one Ounce two Drams and 17 Grains Common Loam in the Air weigh'd two Ounces and 49 Grains in the Water one Ounce and 67 Grains Chalk in the Air two Ounces and 47 Grains and in the Water one Ounce one Dram and one Scruple besides four or five Grains lost by its sâ—ackning The Salts extracted from the Stones they all smelt Lixiviat in boyling Richmond stones Lixivium with Lignum Nephriticum took the colour of Rhenish or White-wine or near a Buff-colour With Tincture of Logwood a Red tawnyish Gall a faint Tincture of Red but clear Turnsole Liquor sharpned with Spirit of Vitriol it brightned the Red a little Oyl of Tartar per deliquium no alteration but did not readily mix The Lye of the Roasted Richmond Stone With Tincture of Logwood brighten'd the Red higher than Pump-water With Turnsole preserv'd the Red. With Gall a high Lemmon colour and clear Lignum Nephriticum clear and not colour'd as Spirit of Vitriol does Oyl of Tartar p. d. thick large curdle The Lye exceeded not Pump or common Water in weight Aqua fortis wrought violently on this Stone but extracted no Tincture but jelly'd but not so firmly as the other no Precipitation could be obtain'd from the Jelly No Efflorescence when mix'd with common Salt and expos'd to the Air some time as mineral bodies do Dulwich raw stones Lixivium remain'd thickish white and of taste brackish With Lignum Nephriticum a deep Malaga Sack colour and not very clear as Alkalys Redded the tawny of Tincture of Logwood deep as Alkalys though not so purplish but near that of Acids Gall yellow like small Beer and very thick did not precipitate though it stood a night the cloud gather'd upward and at bottom more clear like common Salt Tunsole it dull'd as Alkalys toward a Blew Liquid Salt of Tartar it curdled large and precipitated as Sal Marine Upon the whole it resembled common Salt especially with a little of the Nature of Sal Gem or withall somewhat Allkalisat The Lye of Dullwich Stone Roasted With Tincture of Logwood a dull Ale-colour as Cellar-Salt and â—laubers Salt Gall a pale Red not more cloudy than the Lye Liquid Salt of Tartar a thick curdle Syrup of Clove Gilliflowers took away the Red and rendred it durty and dark as Alkalys effect With Lignum Nephriticum a pale yellow and clear which grew thicker upon standing six or eight hours like Spirit of Salt Solution of Sublimate no alteration as Vitriols About six Drams with an Ounce and half of Aqua fortis made considerable Effervescence and thickned in two or three hours to a Jelly of a grey dirty colour the powder of the Stone not settling to the bottom Aqua fortis on Chalk wrought thickned a little but not Jelly'd on common Loam did not work Brick Earth only a small Effervescence Cimolia purpurascens
curdled It did not precipitate Sublimate dissolved in common Water considerably which upon standing some time became only a very little whitish The Salt contained in this Water appeared fully to be Saltpetre in that it did not the least disturb a Solution of Sal Saturni in fair Water but shewed a little of the Nature of common Sa it more than Saltpetre hath in giving a pale yellow with Lignum Nephriticum with a dark cloud which settled and in taking a dull Ale colour not fine with Tincture of Logwood the red it took languish'd more and more And in precipitating a Solution of fine Silver out of Spirit of Nitre in a hardish Curd more than Saltpetre doth Those that know the Nature of both Salt-petre and Sulphur which are the Principles that impregnate this Water must allow them to be produced by the heat of the Earth and not to be the cause of it If we enquire into the Cause and Original of this Heat the Nature of the Salt evidenceth it not to be produced by any calcarious Quarry nor the Effervescence of contrary Salts and Acids Subterranean Fire is groundless and hath invincible Absurdities it may reasonably be supposed to be maintained by the Heat of the Earth for as a considerable Heat is required to the Concoction and Preparation of Metals and is sensibly proved in the Mine-chambers so that Crust of dead loamy Earth that assists to maintain it separates it from us and though we find no such extraordinary Heat yet the Heat of the Mines do not only prove a Heat but imply a much greater to be where the Metal is prepared than where it is separated The Eruption of it at places I pretend not to account for but that it is different often in places not many Rods distant is beyond doubt The Virtues of these Minerals well account for the Cures wrought by the Bath the most which I have observed or known having been in Tumours or Palsies from tough Phlegm not to take notice of their external Use in Scabby Diseases And those that have been within my knowledge have been all performed by Pumping the diseasy part and not by Bathing Now the Qualities that Authors take notice of in Sulphur to heat and dry incide open and provoke Sweat and resist Putrefaction consider'd with the power of the other to ease Pain penetrate discuss and temper Inflammation sufficeth to the performing all this But to bring it nearer to sense I shall take notice what any Person may prove that a Bath made of Salt-petre Sea-salt and Brimstone is the most happy Dissolvent of Oedematous Tumours even in the Legs that hitherto I have observed It is much to be suspected that this Water must lose much of its power if not the best part by carriage together with its power of Tinging Silver yellow especially for inward use I shall conclude all with this useful Remark That as the Waters are a powerful and extraordinary Remedy so to have success in the use of them it is necessary to form just and due Observations of them by distinguishing 1. What Cures are wrought by the Waters on a general Account and what by the Nature of the distinct Salt 2. What are proper and may effect in light Cases but seldom avail alone 3. Some that avail but fail in confirm'd Cases as the Purging Chalybeats in Hypochondriacism 4. What Distempers they Cure with regard to a particular cause and not universally And lastly What they may be trusted to for as in inveterate and confirm'd Obstructions The light Chalybeat Waters may and perhaps in Asthma and Scurvy the Purging Chalybeats c. Some Observations on the Water of Queen Camel in Somersetshire THE Trial of this Water I annex to the Bath Water because this is likewise a Sulphurous one and might illustrate that at least having it by me I thought worth preserving It is a cold Spring of a faetid smell in which as well as in Taste it resembled that of a foul Gun as my honoured Friend the Reverend Mr. Samuel Adamson who made the Experiments for me at the Spring inform'd me It tingeth the stones black on which it falls The use of this Water is inwardly and outwardly in the Kings-Evil and other Ulcers and Scabbiness in which the success is frequent and purgeth little of any thing but hath produced Eruptions if drank without occasion by a Body whose Constitution they disagreed with It hath the Reputation of proceeding from a Copper Mine for which my Friend could discover no ground as neither do the Trials unless some Pyrites there found may give the occasion This Water prov'd upon Tryal to contain a Calcarious Salt yet not so open as to answer with Gall and Lignum Nephriticum and a Sulphur differing from common Brimstone and more amicable to Alkalys and not to be precipitated by Acids and to contain no Metalline parts at least openly so With Gall it took a very pale Yellow and upon standing a Week a little deeper colour and a little thicker With Lignum Nephriticum upon 12 hours standing a little deeper than with Gall in both which it resembled neither Vitriols which take less colour nor as Alkalys which give a deeper but nearer Saltpetre or rather common Pump-water Like Alkalys it curdled not Milk With a Solution of Sublimate 15 drops in 4 ounces a bright brass colour and upon addition of 5 drops more curdled and precipitated of a Feuille mort colour as Alkalys and Salt of Lime Oyl of Tartar p. del 75 drops in 4 ounces made it more limpid and inclinable to a bright Copper which Vinegar would not precipitate The Water when it had stood a Week with a Solution of Sal Saturni turn'd White like Milk as Alkalys but when fresh with 10 drops of the Solution took a dark brown colour and look'd thick The Sediment which is small and dark colour'd would not burn nor would it communicate a Colour to Aqua fortis nor to common Salt upon standing as Mettals and Copper especially will For various Reasons I must excuse any inimical Mineral from a share in this especially Arsenick or Copper but judge it rather near to common Sulphur but less remote from an Alkaly But to know this more nicely the Pyrites ought to be prov'd As this may shew the reason of its good Effects in the King's-Evil and why it agrees not in a Scorbutick Disposition so it may help to drect its proper place in Acid Tumors as Milk Sores or where the Chyle is curdled which if observ'd might make the Waters more useful This Water gilds Silver as doth the Bath Water and as doth common Sulphur The Figure of the Scarborow Water Salt referr'd to at Page 155. The Figure sent me and there referr'd to The Figure of the Salt sent me FINIS A Second Essay of the Bath Water HAving some reason to be dissatisfied with the former Essay of it I procur'd some more new I found the Taste a very little Nauseous and
Saline The Salt of it resembled Common Salt the Water not disturbing a Solution of German Vitriol nor a Solution of Sublimat and taking but a pale dull red with Syrup of Cloves and very little Colour from Lignum Nephriticum and with Gall pale and curdled With a Solution of Salt of Lead it curdled strongly but Whitened not the Liquor so much as Pump Water Besides this strong Precipitation it had this peculiar not to praecipitate Silver so readily or so much as common Salt And it made a White curdle with Spirit of Harts-horn but did not disturb Spirit of Sal Armoniac This differing Effect of these two Spirits is only found in a Decoction of common Salt and common Sulphur and Sulphurous Bodies for I observed near the same to succeed with an Infusion of Orpiment and Spirit of Vitriol diluted This odd Phaenomenon is in Dulwich Water which hereby is illustrated to be owing to the Sulphurousness of the Pyrites and perhaps depth of the Water A TABLE OF THE WATERS Here Examined ACTON Water in Middlesex page 126 Alford in Somersetshire 144 Aylesham in Norfolk 23 Barnet in Hartfordshire 149 Bath Water in Somersetshire 178 185 Brentwood-Weal in Essex 144 Colchester in Essex 128 Dulwich Water in Lewisham in Kent 135 Epsam in Surry 122 Felstead in Essex 28 Ilumington in Warwichshire 21 Islington near London 27 Kensington near London 129 Knaresborough in Yorkshire 19 Lambeth farther Well in Surry 143 Lambeth nearer Well in Surry 138 Marks-Hall in Essex 21 North-Hall in Hartfordshire 137 Oulton in Norfolk 23 Queen-Camel in Somersetshire 182 Richmond in Surry 132 Scarborow in Yorkshire 151 Stretham in Surry 150 Tunbridge in Kent 26 Upminster near Brentwood in Essex 148 Wellenborow in Northamptonshire 27 Wittham in Essex 19 Woodham-Ferrys near Danbury in Essex 158 AN INDEX OF THE Virtues and Properties OF THE WATERS A. ACidity of the Stomach as Heartburning and all Acid Humors to sweeten and carry off The Purging Waters that are Alkalisate or Calcarious Apoplexies to prevent and Cure Knarsborow and Marks-hall Asthma Scarborow and Woodh B. Against Barrenness Scarborow and Knarsb perhaps both successively used Bleeding at any part Knarsborow and Marks-â—â— C. Catarrh Scarborow and Woodham-F Cholicks All the Purging Waters those of common Salt best but if Inflamatory Epsam Cholour of the Face to mend If from a Chlorosis the Purging Chalybeats else the Alkalisate and principally Epsam Consumption If Climacterick the Light Chalybeats but if introduced by a Haemoptoe the Acid. Cramps and Convulsions Knaresborow D. Dropsie If Hypochondriacal The Light Chalybeats Diabetes All the Waters are received to Cure but the most certain the Light Chalybeat as Tunbridge c. E. Epilepsie Hypochondriacal Scarborow F. Fatress and grossness to lessen Epsam Fistula The Light Chalybeats Fluxes Dysenteric Scarborow Fluxes of all sorts in Women Knaresborow Fluor Aâ—bus Scarborow All Fluxes of Blood Knaresborow G. Giddiness The Purging Waters if Old Chalybeat that is the Light ones and to confirm the Cure by the Acid Chalybeats Gout All the Chalybiates but the Nitrous Gonorrhea Scarborow and Knaresborow H. Heat of the Face or at the Stomach Epsam Hypochondriacism Purging Waters and Chalybeat successively The First according to the Constitution as in the Gross Epsam The Chalybeat iâ— the Diseases affect the Head or Glands the Light Sort and the Cure to be confirm'd by the Acid as is Knarsb and Marks I. Jaundies If Originally from the vice of the Ventricle and Intestines the Purging Waters that partake of common Salt if upon Melancholy or Obstructions the Chalybeat K. Kings-Evil Queen-Camel L. Leprosie Knaresborow and Lambeth See Scurfs M. Melancholy All the Alkalisate Waters but most effectual Epsam Against Miscarrying Scarborow and Knaresborow O. Obstructions The Light Chalybeat P. Running Burning Pains The Purging Waters especially the Chalybeat For Pilegmatick Constitutions Brentwood-W Pissing of Blood Knarsborow S. Schirrous Tumours of the Stomach The Light Chalybeats and Scarborow Scabs Knaresborow Scurf and Scurvy Scarb. and Woodh Stone Agreeable Purgers North-hall and Lambeth or the Purging Chalybeats cured by the light sorts Swelling of the Belly continuing after Child-birth Scarborow To Sweeten the Blood and Juyces The Alkalisate T. Tumours of the Spleen Mesentery and Liver Scarborow Teeth to Fasten Knaresb and Marks-Hall V. Vertigo Scarb. Vlcers The Chalybeats Heat of Vrine Knaresb W. Worms The Purging Waters bearing common Salt White Fluor See Fluor Weakness of the Nerves Scarb. Spontaneous Weariness Scarb. The end of the Index Numb 51. Part 2. Obj. 16. ☞