1 second city, though some contend, the third port, in Great Britain, for trade, wealth, and number of inhabitants, Liverpool having for some years equalled and at length surpassed it in commerce. BRISTOL HOT-WELLS are much resorted to, being considered as highly efficacious in consumptive and debilitated cases. They are at the distance of about a mile from the city, on the side of the Avon. At St. Vincent's rock, above this well, are found those native or rock crystals known by the name of Bristol stones. Near this tepid well is a cold spring, which gushes out of a rock, on the side of the river, that supplies the cold bath. GLASTONBURY, likewise in Somersetshire, was formerly famous for its mineral waters, but having been taken incautiously and improperly, they are reported to have proved fatal to many who drank them; yet they have been found serviceable in the asthma, dropsy, scorbutic disorders, and even in cancers, CHELTENHAM, in Glocestershire, eight iniles to the south-east of Tewksbury, and eighty-nine from London, is celebrated for its mineral spring, which is a purgative chalybeate, like that at Scarbo rough. This town was rapidly advancing into importance in consequence of having received a visit from their Majesties in 1788; but the medical properties of its spring have varied in reputation, by the caprice of public opinion. HOLYWELL, in Flintshire, is famous for SAINT WINIFRED'S WELL, which is one of the finest springs in the world, and on account of the sanctity in which it was held, gave name to the town. It, pours out twenty-one tons of water in a minute, which running in the middle of the town, down the side of a hill, is made use of by every house as it passes, after which it turns several mills, is used in various manufactures, which greatly increase the population of the place, and its neighbourhood; the township containing more than four thousand souls. Over the spring, where there is a handsome bath, is a neat chapel, which stands upon pillars, and on the windows are painted the chief events in St. Winifred's, or Wene. frede's life. About the well grows some moss, which people foolishly imagine to be St. Winifred's hair. This Saint is reported to have been a virgin martyr, who lived in the seventh century, and as the legend says, was ravished and beheaded in this place by a pagan tyrant; the spring having miraculously risen from her blood. Hence this bath was much frequented by Popish Pilgrims, out of devotion, as well as by those who came to bathe in it for medicinal purposes. Mr. Pennant says, "the custom of visiting this well in pilgrimage, and offering up devotions there, is not yet entirely set aside: in the summer a few are still to be seen in the water, in deep devotion, up to their chins for hours, sending up their prayers, or performing a number of evolutions round the polygonal well. In the year 1686 James II. visited this well, and received as a reward, a present of the very shift in which his great-grandmother, Mary Queen of Scots, lost her head." Derbyshire is the county peculiarly distinguished for its rich mines, curious appearances of nature, and salubrious fountains. Among the last, is MATLOCK'S tepid spring, which issues amidst the most delightful scenery, and is the resort of much company at the close of summer, and in the autumn. Among the wonders of the Peak one is TIDE'S or WEEDEN'S WELL, constituting one of the class to which we have already adverted that ebb and flow like the sea. That it does ebb and flow is cértain; but it is at very unequal periods, sometimes not in a day or two, and sometimes twice in an hour. The bason of the spring is about a yard deep, and the same in length and breadth. When it flows, the water rises with a bubbling noise, as if the air which was pent up within the cavities of the rock was forcing itself a passage, and driving the water before it. It is occasionally used as a restorative. The next wonder of Derbyshire, is BUXTON WELLS, the waters of which, beside their medicinal use, have this singularity, that within five feet of one of the hot springs there arises a cold one; but this is not the only well of the kind, since hot and cold springs rise near each other in several places in England, and in other countries. These springs possess a less degree of warmth than those at Bath. The water of Buxton-wells is sulphureous, with a small quantity of saline particles, but it is not in the least impregnated with a sulphureous acid, hence they are very palatable in comparison with other medicinal waters. They are salutary in scorbutic, rheumatic, or nervous complaints, both by bathing and drinking. These waters were well known in the time of the Romans. Besides the principal springs which are at the village of Buxton, there are many others that rise unregarded in the neighbouring enclosures, and on the sides of the bill. The Buxton waters create an appetite, and remove obstructions, Bathing here is found beneficial in scorbutic, rheumatic, and nervous complaints. The building for the bath was erected in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, by George Earl of Shrewsbury; and here Mary Queen of Scots, when committed into his custody, resided for some time. The Duke of Devonshire, not long ago erected a beautiful building, in the form of a crescent, under which are piazzas and shops. SCARBOROUGH is a town in the north riding of Yorkshire, two hundred and forty one miles to the north of London. Its situation is perfectly romantic, being built on the top of a steep rock, bending in the form of a crescent to the main ocean, of which an almost unbounded prospect appears from all parts. The summit of this mountain contains no less than eighteen or twenty acres of meadow ground, and on the upper part stood a castle. The town, which is populous, is almost encompassed by the sea, and walled where it does not join to the castle, or is not more strongly defended by the main; and it has one of the best harbours in the kingdom. In this town are mineral springs, which are called the "Scarborough Spa, and it is much resorted to for the purpose of sea-bathing, the shore being well accommodated for that purpose; on which account public rooms for assemblies and balls have been erected. Many merchant-ships are built here, and large contracts are made with government for the transport service. The spring, called The Spa, was under the cliff, part of which fell down in December 1737, by which the waters were entirely overwhelmed and concealed for some years, until upon rebuilding the wharf, the fallen fragments were removed, and the salutary waters traced to their source; a discovery which contributed greatly to enliven and enrich the town in general. HARROWGATE, a village in the west riding of Yorkshire, twentyone miles west of the city of York, has a mineral spring of a sulphureous quality, esteemed very salutary in scrophulous complaints. It is made use of as a bath, and is seldom taken internally. The season of resorting hither is from May to Michaelmas, when the company are accommodated in five or six commodious inns, on a heath, about a mile distant from the village. TUNBRIDGE, in the county of Kent, received its name from the stone bridges which are thrown over the five branches of the Medway, of which the Tun is one, and is seated thirty miles south east by south of London. This place is remarkable for its chalybeate springs, which are four or five miles south of the town, but in the same parish, and are resorted to by the nobility and gentry in June, July, and August. They are situated for the most part in the parish of Tunbridge, between two hills, named Mount Sion and Mount Ephraim, both covered with good houses, and gardens abounding in fruits. Tunbridge is likewise famous for its beautiful turnery ware. This spring was first discovered in the year 1606, and brought into general notice by Dudley Lord North, but no buildings were erected until thirty years afterward. About a mile and a half from the wells is an assemblage of stupendous rocks, from forty to seventy-five feet high, which resemble the hulks of large men of war, closely ranged. EPSOM, in Surrey, is a handsome, well-built town, about fourteen miles from London. Its extent is about a mile and a half in a semi-circle, from the church to the fine seat at Durdans. Its mrineral purgative waters, which issue from a rising ground nearer Ashsted than Epsom, were discovered in 1618, and soon became very famous; but though they have not lost their virtue, they are far from being in the same repute as formerly; however, the salt made of them is valued all over Europe. A large quantity of Magnesia is prepared from the earth and water in this neighbourhood. [Gough, Phil. Trans. Thomson.] 4. Means of analysing Mineral or Medicinal Waters, and of determining their Principles and Properties. The first knowledge of mineral waters, like every other branch of knowledge we possess, was accidentally discovered. The good effects they produced on such as use them, have doubtless been the › cause of distinguishing them from common waters. The first philosophers who considered their properties, attended only to their sensible qualities, such as colour, weight, or lightness, smell, and taste. Pliny, however, distinguished a great number of waters, either by their physical properties or their uses; but the inquiry after methods of ascertaining, by chemical processes, the quantity and quality of the principles held in solution by mineral waters, was not attempted till the seventeenth century. Boyle is one of the first who, in the valuable experiments on colours published by him at Oxford in 1663, mentioned several re-agents capable of indicating thre substances dissolved in water, by the alteration produced in their colours. The Academy of Sciences, from its first institution, was aware of the importance of analysing mineral waters; and Duclos, in 1667, attempted the examination of the mineral waters of France: the researches of this chemist may be found in the origi nal memoirs of this society. Boyle was particularly employed in inquiries respecting mineral waters about the end of the seventeenth century, and published a treatise on this subject in 1685. Boulduc, in the year 1729, published a method of analysing waters, which is much more perfect than any which were employed before his day it consists in evaporating these fluids at different times, and separating by filtration the substances which are deposited, in proportion as the evaporation proceeds. Many celebrated chemists have since made successful experiments on mineral waters, and almost every one made valuable discoveries respecting the different principles contained in these fluids. Bouldoc discovered natron, and determined its properties; Le Roi, physician of Montpellier, discovered calcareous muriat; Margraaff, the muriat of magnesia; Priestly, carbonic acid; and Monnet and Bergman the sulphurated or hepatic hydrogen gas. The two last mentioned chemists, besides the discoveries with which they have enriched the art of analysing waters, have published complete treatises on the method of proceeding in this analysis; and have carried this part of chemistry to a degree of perfection and accuracy far exceeding that which it possessed before the time of their labours. We are likewise in possession of particular analysis, made by very good chemists, of a great number of mineral waters, and which serve to throw great light on this inquiry, which, with justice, is esteemed one of the most difficult in the whole art of chemistry. The limits here prescribed do not permit us to enter at large into the history of the analysis of waters, which may be found in many treatises, especially one lately published by the celebrated Dr. Saunders. Principles contained in Mineral Waters.It is but a few years since the substances capable of remaining in solution in water have been accurately known. This appears to have arisen from the want of exact chemical methods of ascertaining the nature of these sub |