A new experimental inquiry into the nature and qualities of the Cheltenham water / [A. Fothergill].

  • Anthony Fothergill
Date:
1788
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A new experimental inquiry into the nature and qualities of the Cheltenham water / [A. Fothergill]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    54/140 page 38
    t [ 38 ] The hardnefs of waters has been attributed, by ibme writers, to common fait but Dr. Home, in his experiments on bleaching, has {hewn that neither common fait whennor any other fait with an alkaline bafis, can produce this effed:. The fait which is in common ufe may indeed feem to afford an exception, as it contains a portion of abforbent earth, and is by no means pure. The aerial acid, feparate, or combined with earth or iron, is one caufe of the hardnefs of waters; but this is ealily remedied by boiling, or even expofing the water fonie time in opien veifels, by which means this fubtil gas exhales. The earth, or iron, which V had been fufpended by it, being now no longer fo- luble in the water, are precipitated, and the water / is immediately rendered foft. Whenever the aerial acid efcapes, the bond of union is dellroyed, and the earthy matters attach themfelves firmly to the fubftances they happen to meet with. Hence it is that tea-kettles are fo fre¬ quently covered with an earthy cruft. Hence too, the ochrey fediment of chalybeate fprings expofed to the open air. Thus, mineral waters, weakly impregnated, might, by mere boiling and cooling, (if other water fhould
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