Observations on mineral waters, and on sea-bathing, with cautions and admonitions on their use and application.

Date:
[1801]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on mineral waters, and on sea-bathing, with cautions and admonitions on their use and application. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    “ The nitrous acid, with the four former of these. The marine acid with the same, and sometimes with ba- rytes, manganese, and clay. And the aerial acid w ith these, and also with iron, zinc, and manganese. “ Sulphur, fossile oil, and extracts from vegetable and animal substances, are also found sometimes iu mine- ral waters. “ From the various substances above-mentioned, and their dillerent combinations, are derived all the virtues of mineral waters, except such as they obtain from their temperature. CLASSIFICATION OF MINERAL WATERS. CHALYBEATE WATERS. Of all the mineral waters, the chalybeate are the class most useful and beneficial to health ; and are very plen- tiful in this island. Waters are known to be chalybeate by their striking a reddish purple, or black colour, with an infusion of galls; and according to the height of the colour, provided the strength of the infusion be the same, we invariably judge of the strength of the water as a chaly- beate. The iron in these waters is held in solution by means of fixed air; and as this flies off on exposing the water, the iron falls to the bottom, in form of a brownish yel- low powder. Hence these wTaters strike the deepest black with galls, at the spring head; and in time they wholly lose that property. They have a brisk, acidu- lous, or vinous taste, when fresh, and tinge the stools black. Chalybeate wratcrs, taken inwardly, strengthen the constitution in general, increase the tone of the fibres, quicken the circulation, and restore a proper consistence to the blood when in a too thin and watery state. Hence they are good in diseases arising from weakness; in spasmodic disorders, arising from too great irritability and relaxation of the nervous system; in fluor albus, and gleets; in female obstructions; in hysteric and hy- pochondriacal disorders; in loss of appetite and indi- gestion ; and in a variety of other complaints, depend- ent on a weak state of body.