The reputation of the Hotwells (Bristol) as a health-resort / by L.M. Griffiths.

  • Griffiths, L. M. (Lemuel Matthews)
Date:
[1902]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The reputation of the Hotwells (Bristol) as a health-resort / by L.M. Griffiths. 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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    excellent Merit a Capite nsq; ad Calcern in all Cephalick Cases, and Ataxy of the Spirits, and Palsies and other Impotencies.” For external use it is a “trusty Assylum in all left-off incurable Ulcers, Fistula’s and eroding Sores, if not Cancers.” 1 In 1706 Dr. Benjamin Allen instituted some experiments on the qualities of the water, and in The Natural History of the Mineral-Waters of Great Britain, published in 1711, he declared it to be “worth trying in Diabetes and where Warmth is useful, and Steel not proper, to make a Constitution firm, as in most Phthises of the Lungs, and wilting 2 Decays; and perhaps in common Hypochondriacal Cases.”3 Allen’s analysis produced results which differed from those of Venner and of Guidott. He examined several samples, and in each of them he found that the water gave “ a light Golden Yellow and clear with Nutgall, and a bright Claret-red from Logwood boil’d in it. It had so much Acidity, as not to bear Soap; no Liquor disturb’d it by Precipitation or Thickning; it is plainly from a Steam.” He goes on to say : “ For Matter that inriches it with this Steam ; I considered the Rock from under which it proceeds, which is high and large, and this affords Marble in several Places, but near the Spring, a Stone which they burn for Lime; and in some parts a Stone, known by the name of Bristol Stone, being a sort of hard Sparr, where the Rock is stain’d with red. The Water not containing a Calcarious Salt, I examin’d the Sparry red part as likely to shew me the Mineral, which with, and without burning, I boil’d in Vinegar, and in the same Distill’d, and extracted a Tincture, as Chymists speak, or inrich’d the Liquor with a taste like white Vitriol, but not very full, tho’ plain enough, and which with Nutgall, like that, turn’d a dirty-black: It seems to me to be a Product of Iron and Limestone. The Warmth, since the Rock only lets it out at the Side of it, and is so gentle, may be no Proof of a Sulphur. It appears that the Water contains not any gross Part, or Body of any of the Minerals, or Limestone, and is far enough from Lime Water, yet (Cf. Ger. 1 Some of this is quoted by Randolph, 1750, p. 24. Wilt, v.i. To droop, lose energyTo render limp or pithless. welk, withered.)”—Chambers’s Twentieth Century Dictionary. 1901.] 3 P. 9S.