262
commences about tbe middle of June, and
terminates near the end of September.
The charges are very moderate. One great
advantage that these baths possess over
those of Aix or St. Gervaise, is that the
air in the valley of the Doron is particularly
bracing and salubrious.
Dr. Hybord obligingly furnished me with
the following statement of the saline ingredients
contained in these waters ; a regular
analysis of the proportions had not been
made. The temperature of ^le water,
owing to an occasional intermixture of top
waters, varies from 27° to 29° Beaumer,
or from 93° to 97° Fahrenheit. They contain
148 grains of saline matter in each
killogramme, or about the Hs part.
The principal salts are,
Sulphat of magnesia,
Muriat of soda,
Sulphat and carbonate of lime.
Besides which, they contain a small quantity
of sulphat of soda, carbonate of magnesia,
and carbonate of iron, with a trace of
alumine and silex. The gaseous products
are carbonic acid, and sulphuretted hydrogene
; there is also a portion of petroleum
floating on the water, and an ammoniacal
efflorescence forms on the planks that cover
the spring. The waters rise with much
ebullition, as the quantity of gas they contain
is very considerable. I examined the
rock from which they spring; it is a greenish
talcous slate, very soapy to the touch, and
much contorted. The water issues near
the junction of this rock with limestone.
The smell of sulphuretted hydrogen is very
perceptible. To the taste the waters are
like a mixture o fth e Cheltenham and Har-
rowgate, with a temperature approaching
that of the Bath waters. A chemist came
over from Turin while we were at Brida,
to analyze the waters, by the desire of
the proprietors of the baths; but some
mystery was made of his proceedings. It
is possible he was afraid of giving offence
by making a too favourable report of the
spring, as the Sardinian government interferes
so much with whatever can affect the
revenue, that it may probably look with no
favourable eye on those new baths, lest
they should take away company from the
baths of Aix. I should therefore be inclined
to receive with much caution any
report made by persons under the immes
4
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- s r . .