University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XII.

RED SULPHUR SPRING WATER, VIRGINIA.

This water is perfectly colorless and
transparent; when agitated it has an agreeable
sparkling appearance. Its odor is that of
hydro-sulphuric acid, mixed with that from
earth or clay; the latter being retained, after
the hydro-sulphuric acid is dissipated, or destroyed.
Its taste is hepatic and slightly bitter.
By ebullition, it does not immediately
become turbid, gases escape, and when reduced
in volume by evaporation deposition
takes place.

The specific gravity of this water, compared
with pure water at the same temperature,
and pressure equal, is 100029. Subjected
to the influence of chemical re-agents, it
presents the following characters:

With a solution of chromate of potash, the
yellow color becames greenish
yellow.

With a solution of nitrate of mercury, a grayish-brown
precipitate is formed.

With a acetate of lead; the first drops give
a brown colored precipitate; an
additional quantity of a yellowish
white precipitate.

With a bisulphate of copper; at first brown,
succeeded by a bulky greenish-gray
precipitate.

With a sulphate of silver, a brown, succeeded
by a yellowish white and flocculent
precipitate.

With a muriate of baryta, a white precipitate,
insoluble in acids.

With a oxalate of ammonia, a white precipitate.

With a nitrate of silver and ammonia, white
precipitate, which becomes brown
and purple in sunlight.

With a nitrate of copper and ammonia, a pale
bluish-green precipitate is formed,
after the first few drops of the reagent
have separated a brown precipitate.

With a tincture of iodine, added to a large
bulk of the water, containing starch

dissolved in it, instantly gives a
blue colour to the starch.

Analysis.—Indications above described afford
evidence of hydrosulphuric acid in the
water, while the iodine solution shows that it
exists in a relatively small proportion. A
bottle of the water was mixed, at the moment
of taking it from the Spring, with a small
quantity of oxide of bismuth, and closely
sealed. After the agitation due to carriage,
and rest for several weeks, it was found that
the particles of oxide of bismuth were rendered
brown superficially, and no traces of hydro-sulphuric
acid remained in the water. The
oxide contained carbonic acid, and less than
one-third of a grain of the oxide had absorbed
and combined with all the hydro-sulphuric
acid, contained in about fourteen thousand
grains of the recently drawn water. By careful
experiments, in which the hydro-sulphuric
acid was measured by its action on iodine,
and the latter weighed in its silver compound,
the bulk of the hydro-sulphuric acid was ascertained.

50,000 grains (about seven pints) of the
water, from which the hydro-sulphuric acid

had been removed, afforded by the usual processes
2698 grain measures of gases, or one
volume of gases from 18½ volumes of water.

1000 parts of the mixed gases are made up of

       

Carbonic acid gas,	4·19
Nitrogen gas,	4·77
Oxygen gas,	1·04
		1·000

The two latter gases form the bulk of our
atmosphere, in the proportion of 79 nitrogen
to 21 oxygen—477 of nitrogen requires 126
oxygen, while the analysis gives 1·04, showing
that oxygen is abstracted by the constituents
of the water. All the well-corked bottles
had rarefied atmospheres over the water, and
when they were pierced even at 32° F., air
would enter.

A well-sealed bottle, containing the hydro-sulphuric
acid gas in the water, afforded for
50,000 parts of water 3088 of mixed gases, or
one volume of gases from less than 17 volumes
of water, consisting of

         

Carbonic acid gas,	1245
Nitrogen gas,	1497
Oxygen gas,	260
Hydrosulphuric acid gas,	86
		3008

Gaseous contents of a gallon, or 231 cubic
inches of the Red Sulphur Spring water—

         

Carbonic acid,	5·750
Nitrogen,	6·916
Oxygen,	1·201
Hydrosulphuric acid,	0·397
	14·264

In this analysis, the proportion of oxygen
gas to the nitrogen is still smaller, a result
which accords with other observations made at
the same time. The hydrosulphuric acid gas
is the most active of the gases found; while
the carbonic acid gas acts the part of an
acid, in rendering earthy salts soluble in the
water.

50,000 grains (about seven pints) of this
water afforded by slow evaporation in air
at 200° F., a light yellowish-brown matter,
which, after it had been carefully dried,
weighed 20 56/ 100 grs. At the temperature of
240° F., this residue becomes changed, and
suffers a loss of weight, being reduced to
17·55 grs.

This residue contains the saline part of the
water, and is composed of—

             

Silicious earthy matter, containing traces of oxide of iron and alumina, probably suspended merely,	0.70
Sulphate of soda in a dry state, which forms with the water 802 grs. Glauber's salts.	3·55
Sulphate of lime,	0·47
Carbonate of lime, dissolved in carbonic acid.	4·50
Carbonate of magnesia, dissolved in carbonic acid, and forming the "Fluid magnesia." A peculiar substance, containing	4·13
Sulphur combined with organic matter,	7·20
	20·55

There are traces of chlorine, or muriatic
acid, in some specimens, but at most only
0·03 of chloride of silver could be separated
from 10,000 grs. of water. This substance is
rarely absent from natural waters, which have
penetrated the earth.

The peculiar sulphur compound which
forms a part of the saline contents of this
water, has never been described, if it has ever
before been met with. While in the natural

state, and out of contact with atmospheric air,
it is dissolved in the water, and forms a permanent
solution. Air, acids, and other agents,
separate it from the water, in the form of a
jelly, and alkaline carbonates, alkalies, water,
and other agents re-dissolve it. It has no acid
action on test fluids, but bears that character
with bases, and forms compounds analogous
to salts. In its decomposition, ammonia is
formed, and hydrosulphuric acid is liberated;
or if heat be employed in the experiment,
sulphur is separated. It combines with the
oxide of silver, and forms a salt of a reddish
purple color, in the form of a flocculent precipitate,
which dissolves in pure water; with
the oxide of lead, a yellowish white powder,
and with the oxide of copper, a pale blue salt
in fine powder. In these compounds it remains
unaltered, and may be separated from
them and transferred to other bases.

Mixed with a small quantity of water, and
exposed to the temperature of 80° F., it decomposes,
and emits a most offensive odor
of putrefying animal matter, with hydrosulp.
acid gas. It is to this property that the hydro-sulphuric
acid in the water is due, and to the

oxidation of a part of this compound most of
the sulphuric acid found in the water may be
referred.

I have endeavoured to ascertain how its
elements are arranged, but so small a quantity
has been separated, that I could not insure
the purity of any salt formed with it.
144/100 grs. gave with oxide of copper 342/100 grs.
of a dry, bluish-green compound.

With the specimens of water, I received a
small quantity of a "red deposit," which invests
the surfaces of the marble slabs forming
the basin of the Spring. It had become
changed, although the cork was tightly sealed.
When opened for examination, a soft,
clay-coloured mass, composed of films having
a greasy appearance, mixed with some filamentous
parts, was found. The odour it exhaled
was insupportable; it blackened metals,
and when agitated with water, rendered it
viscid. With a solution of carbonate of soda
it formed a frothy solution, which while cold
had the appearance of a solution of soap, and
when heated disengaged some ammoniacal
vapours, and formed a solution of all excepting
some earthy and filamentous parts. This

substance contains the same compound of
sulphur and organic matter as that found dissolved
in the water of the Spring. I separated
from the water the peculiar matter it
contains, in the form of films, and compared
these with those obtained from a soda solution
of the altered "red deposit," by the aid of
re-agents, and they proved to be identical.
From the examination of this altered matter,
I have formed the conclusion, that the red
colour of the matter which covers the slabs is
that of a moss or lichen, which finds its habitat
in the viscid covering produced by the
deposition of the sulphur compound.

My early attempts to illustrate this point
failed. The substance separated from the
water, by uniting it to oxide of copper, and
afterwards destroying the union by hydro-sulp.
acid, would become after a few days covered
with vegetation of mosses, unlike those
described as occurring at the Spring, I was led
to the conclusion that the spores or seeds of
the peculiar "red moss" did not exist in the
atmosphere of this place and must be found in
the products of warmer climates. After several
trials, I succeeded by treating rice, with a

hot dilute solution of carbonate of soda, in
obtaining a red coloured moss vegetation,
which could be transferred to the decomposing
compound on which it flourished. In its
union with oxide of copper, no tendency to
decay, or the production of vegetation was observed,
under the most favourable circumstances;
but when after separation, decomposition
and decay had progressed, vegetation
appeared. I need not ask, if a substance possessing
vitality, can be combined with oxide of
copper and afterwards eliminated by hydro.
sulp. acid and retain its vital powers?

A small specimen of the mud and slime,
which appears where the water from the
Spring flows, was received. It was a black,
tenacious mud, exhaling an odour of hydro-sulphuric
acid, mixed with that from earth.
The colour is due to the sulphuret of iron,
formed by the action of the hydrosulphuric
acid on the ferruginous matters contained in
the soil, which is a product of a further decompostion
of the sulphur compound contained
in the water. It forms brown coloured
solutions and imperfect salts; its sulphur element
is retained; in other respects, it resembles

the brown extracts from soils, or the humus
and apocrenic acids of Berzelius.

Having studied the chemical characters of
the sulphur compound imperfectly, I give only
those reactions in the following description,
which will serve to show its want of identity
with any of the various substances which
have been found in thermal waters, and in
some European hepatic waters.

By request of Mr. Hayes, we have ordered
a large supply of the "Sulphur Compound"
to be sent him for further experiments. We
shall publish the result in some form when
obtained; meantime we think it will be conceded
that the analysis and explanations given
above are perfectly satisfactory, and place the
claims of the Red Sulphur as a peculiar water
on impregnable grounds. Here we have
not only results, but the whole process by
which they were obtained. There is no mystification;
but at every step of the experiment
the reader is instructed and interested.
We would especially invite his attention to
the curious substance in which Mr. Hayes
supposes the virtues of the water mainly to
consist.

On this head he makes the following important
remark. "I believe no trace of uncombined
sulphur can be found in it, in its
fresh state, and when I fermented it, hydro-sulp.
acid was the form it appeared in. I deem
this a very important distinction in a medical
point of view, and incline to the opinion that
all the sulphur in this compound is in a state
fitted to be absorbed into the animal system,

as no other known solution or powder of
sulphur is, excepting perhaps hydro-sulph.
acid."

The introduction of this bland substance in
a fluid condition into the system must exert a
great influence on the circulation, and consequently
on the mucous surfaces that are in a
morbid condition; and when we consider
that the greater portion of the fluids taken
into the stomach is directly conveyed into the
circulation by the absorbents, we can at once
perceive that the great hygeienic power of
this water is dependent on the characteristics
enumerated, all of which combined act as a
singular alterative in equalizing an excited
circulation, in correcting the highly acrid and
vitiated secretions of an irritated mucous membrane,
by modifying the fluid that supplies
the matter for that secretion; and that by
sending to the heart and lungs also a diluted
instead of a highly concentrated supply of
blood, it calms those organs by producing in
the latter a condition favourable to the proper
performance of their function of oxygenation,
and by soothing the irritation of the former,
causing it to send forth its stream with a

milder impetus, and, moreover, by diffusing
more equally the capillary circulation, and in
return obtaining not only a more moderate,
but a more healthy supply.

Suppose then an irritated feverish condition
of the mucous membrane of the bronchi or
alimentary canal to exist when this water is
taken into the stomach, it is refrigerant,
bland, pure, yet abounding in subtle and invisible
power: what is its probable mode of
action? Why, reasoning from analogy, we
must conclude that its first impression is on
the nervous expansion with which it comes in
contact: this sends the pleasurable sensation to
the brain; this urges into activity the absorbents;
these convey the tranquillizing influence
to the circulation; and this influence is
again returned to the modification of the irritated
surfaces. The external capillary circulation
is restored to its rightful balance;
the skin and the kidneys perform their appropriate
functions; in a word, the normal
condition is restored, and all is smooth and
calm as the unruffled ocean.

But if, on the contrary, a hard, harsh water,
loaded with saline ingredients, comes in

contact with a surface in the condition supposed,—what
may reasonably be expected?
Why, evidently that the nerves will be distressed,
the circulation still further depraved,
the heart excited to unnatural action, the irritated
surface still further engorged, the arterial
action increased, respiration hurried,
and all the functions of the external and internal
organs abnormally performed.

The process of filtration described by
Lucretius gives us a good idea of that effected
by the organs of secretion of the human system.
It is not probable that the absorbents
of the stomach have the power of discriminating
between one fluid and another; hence
it is that, whether pure water or alcohol is
presented to its surface, it is thrown into the
circulation; but not so with the kidneys or
skin, or mucous surfaces; they probably resist
the obnoxious article, for a while, but when
again and again presented, it overpowers
their energies, and first, abnormal functions,

and next, organic lesion, is the consequence.
It will readily be seen, then, in chronic affections
of the organs of respiration and of the
abdominal viscera, if these affections amount
to irritation or subacute inflammation, that
the Red Sulphur alone, of the Sulphur waters,
is admissible.

From this comparative view of the action
of those differently composed sulphur waters
some valuable instruction may be derived,
and we hope will not be altogether overlooked
by invalids. It may afford a hint too in
the selection of our food, for nothing is more
preposterous than to take a minute portion of
medicine to effect a certain object, and while
under its influence to fill the stomach with
substances altogether incompatible with it.
What would be said of a physician who
would use the lancet to subdue inflammation,
and at the same time administer brandy?