University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XIX.

SALT SULPHUR SPRINGS.

We should have taken great pleasure in
presenting our views on the Mineral Waters
of the Salt Sulphur, but we deem that it would
be presumptive in us to treat of a subject that
has been pre-occupied by a very distinguished
physician and surgeon of Philadelphia, Dr.
Thomas D. Mutter. We feel that it is more
consistent with a due sense of that gentleman's
superiority, as we are sure it will be more
agreeable to the proprietors, and profitable to
the public, that we should substitute his observations
for our own, and therefore subjoin
so much of his pamphlet as has immediate reference
to this watering-place.

We would do violence to our own feelings,
however, were we to pass over unnoticed the
claims of the amiable proprietors, Messrs. Erskine
and Caruthers, upon the public, for the
sumptuous provision they make for the accommodation
and comfort of their guests, and
the uniform kindness that marks all their intercourse

with them. Mr. Erskine attends in
person to the location of visiters, and gives
universal satisfaction. He is always kind, always
amiable, always agreeable, never obtrusive.
All the arrangements of this establishment
deserve commendation, and we sincerely
hope its success will realize the just expectation
of those worthy gentlemen.

"The Salt Sulphur Springs,[1] three in
number, are situated in the county of Monroe,
in 37½° north latitude, and 5° longitude west
of Philadelphia, and at an elevation of about
1400 feet above tide-water. All the Springs
are situated on `Indian Creek,' a small limestone
stream which rises in a valley a few
hundred yards above the Old or Sweet Spring,
and pursuing its `devious way' for about 23
miles in a south-west direction, finally empties
into New River, in Monroe county. It derives
its name from the circumstance of the Indians,
who in former times were in the habit of entering
the valley of Virginia from Kentucky
and Ohio, almost invariably making it their
`camping stream.' Their graves, along with
other traces of their frequent resort to this particular

spot, are occasionally met with at the
present day.

"The Salt Sulphur is hemmed in on every
side by mountains. To the south and east,
in full view, and about ten miles distant, is
Peter's Mountain; due north, and about fourteen
miles distant, is a low spur of the Alleghany;
and west it is bounded by Swope's
Mountain, at or near the base of which are
the two principal Springs.

"It appears from the statement of some of
the `oldest inhabitants,' that the Old or Sweet
Spring was discovered in 1802 or 1803, by
Alexander Hutchison, Esq., who was engaged
in boring for salt along Indian Creek. For
several years it enjoyed much celebrity, and
was annually the resort of a large company.
The house occupied as the hotel, and several
of the old cabins, are still standing. The
opening of the Salt Sulphur Spring, the
medical properties of which are so much more
strongly marked, and the erection of commodious
buildings near it, soon destroyed the
fame of the Sweet, the water of which is at
the present time used almost exclusively for
the baths, although there are some individuals
who still prefer it to that of either the Salt or

New Spring. To gratify such, and at the
same time to test the value of the water, the
enterprising proprietors, in the summer of
1839, caused the Spring to be deepened and
thoroughly repaired. At present, it is enclosed
in a white marble reservoir, two feet square
by two feet four inches in depth, over which
is erected a neat wooden edifice, of an order
`sui generis.' In taste, smell, colour, and
constituents, it strongly resembles the Salt
Spring, but it is much more feeble as a remedial
agent, which is to be attributed to its containing
a smaller quantity of the active principles
common to both.

"The second Spring, or the Salt Sulphur
proper, was discovered in 1805, by Erwin
Benson, Esq. He was induced to believe that
either sulphur water or salt might be found in
considerable quantities at the spot now occupied
by the Spring, from the fact of its being
the favourite `Lick' of immense herds of buffalo
and deer. Under this impression he began
boring, and had penetrated but a short distance
below the surface, when he struck the vein of
Sulphur water now constituting the Spring.
Like the Old, this Spring is enclosed in a marble
reservoir, two feet square, and about two

feet ten inches deep, but from the boldness of its
sources, it is probable that this Spring will be
enlarged. It is protected from the influence of
the weather by a neat and appropriate edifice,
furnished with seats. The water possesses all
the sensible properties of the Sulphur waters
in general. Its odor, for instance, is very like
that of a `tolerable egg,' and may, in certain
states of the atmosphere, be perceived at some
distance from the Spring; and in taste it is
cousin-german to a strong solution of Epsom
salts and magnesia. In a short time, however,
strange to say, these disagreeable properties
are either not observed, or become on the
other hand attractive; indeed, there is hardly
an instance of an individual's retaining his
original repugnance to them longer than three
or four days, and some there are who become
so excessively fond of the water, as to give it
the preference over any other liquid. Like
most of the Sulphurous, this water is perfectly
transparent, and deposits a whitish sediment,
composed of its various saline ingredients,
mingled with sulphur. It is also for the most
part placid; occasionally, however, it is disturbed
by a bubble of gas, which steals slowly
to the surface, where it either explodes with
a timid and dimpling smack, or is eagerly
caught up by some care-worn and almost
world-weary invalid, as a gem from the treasury
of Hygeia!

"The following analysis of this Spring is
furnished by Professor Rogers, of the University
of Virginia:

" `Solid ingredients.—Sulphate of lime;
sulphate of magnesia; sulphate of soda; carbonate
of lime; carbonate of magnesia; chloride
of sodium; chloride of magnesium;
chloride of calcium; iodine, probably combined
with sodium; sulpho-hydrate of sodium
and magnesium; sulphur, mingled with a
peculiar organic matter; peroxide of iron, derived
from proto-sulphate.

" `Gaseous ingredients.—Sulphuretted hydrogen;
nitrogen; oxygen; carbonic acid.

" `The bubbles of gas that are seen adhering
to the sides of the Spring, are composed
almost entirely of nitrogen.'

"The precise proportions of the solid ingredients
will shortly appear in the `Report
on the Geology of Virginia,' which Professor
Rogers is at the present moment preparing for
the press, and for the appearance of which the
medical profession has been for some time

anxiously waiting. The temperature of this
water is 50° Fahr.

"The third, or New Spring, was discovered
in 1838 by the proprietors, while engaged in
cutting a drain for the water of the `Salt,' and
was immediately deepened, and furnished
with a marble reservoir, similar to those of
the other Springs, over which a frame building
has been erected. Its water is not as
limpid as that of the other Springs, in consequence
of the excessive deposit of sulphur, in
combination with some organic element which
floats as a pellicle on the surface of the Spring.
Frequently when the heat of the sun is intense,
a beautiful pink deposit, resembling in appearance
that met with in the `Red Sulphur,' is
discovered upon the sides and bottom of the
reservoir. In taste and smell, it resembles very
much the water of the other Springs, but, from
being ten degrees warmer, is to some persons
less palatable. It contains but a small portion
of free gas, and hence presents a sluggish, and
when covered by the pellicle alluded to, rather
a disagreeable aspect. In chemical composition
it resembles the Salt, as the following extract
from a letter of Professor Rogers will
show: `I enclose you a list of the ingredients

in the Salt Sulphur water, which applies to
the New as well as the Old Spring, the former
having rather a smaller amount of saline matter
in general, though in some ingredients
surpassing the other. It has been very minutely
analyzed, and is the first of all the waters
in which I was able to detect traces of iodine,
which it contains in larger amount than the
Old Spring, and indeed most of the other waters
in which I have been so fortunate as to
discover this material.' Its temperature ranges
from 62° to 68° Fahr.

"Comparing the water of the Salt Sulphur
with the Sulphur waters of Europe, we shall
find that it corresponds most nearly with those
of Harrowgate and Dinsdale Springs in
England. In this country there are several
Springs, the waters of which resemble it in
many respects. The White Sulphur, (Greenbrier
county, Va.,) the Big Bone, (Ky.,) and
the Olympian, (Ky.,) are of this class.

"The New Spring, although it resembles
in most respects the Salt, contains, according
to the analysis of Professor Rogers, a much
larger proportion of iodine. The presence of
this ingredient will render this water, in all

probability, highly useful in many cases in
which the other would prove either a feeble
agent, or produce no effect whatever; scrofula,
some diseases of the skin, goitre, and the
affections for which iodine is generally given,
are among them. Having had but little experience
in the use of this Spring, from the
fact that it had but recently been opened when
I visited the place, I will not hazard a positive
opinion relative to its therapeutic virtues.
I have little doubt, however, that it will speedily
become a favourite, as well as eminently
useful water.

"The Old Spring contains most of the ingredients
of the other two, but in smaller
quantity, and hence may be useful in cases in
which the latter operates too powerfully. My
experience with this water being also limited,
I must forbear, until a future occasion, saying
much about its powers as a remedial agent.

"In the exhibition of these waters, the rules
laid down as applicable to the administration
of all others may be adhered to. When it
becomes necessary to change the water, or
alternate it with another, I would recommend,
from its great similarity, that of the White
Sulphur."

The analysis of this water made by Professor
Rogers, proves that it contains a large
amount of saline ingredients, which impart to
it greater purgative power than is possessed by
any of the Sulphur Springs, and also render
it in some degree more stimulant than the
White Sulphur. The diseases to which it is
applicable have been so minutely detailed by
Dr. Mütter that we can add very little of interest.
It appears from the letter accompanying
the analysis that Professor Rogers declares
he has met with a much larger quantity of
Iodine in the lower spring, than in any water
in which it has been his good fortune to find
this substance. (We quote from memory, not
having the analysis by us.) In the analysis he
gives: Iodine—a trace! We confess we cannot
understand how a trace can be much
greater than the quantity he has been so fortunate
as to find in other waters. It may be
owing to our obtuseness in not being able to
distinguish between a large trace and a small
trace; but we have always considered the difference
to be about the same as between the
big end of nothing, and the little end of nothing-at-all.
Taking it for granted, however,

that a trace is not next to nothing; it may be
interesting to call the attention of the reader to
the opinion of another great chemist, with regard
to the presence of this salt in water.
We sent Mr. Hayes, for correction, the sheets
containing his Analysis of the Red Sulphur,
and he has just returned them with some additional
remarks, among which we find the following:
"Waters containing minute portions
of the salt called Hydriodate of Potash,
may be used as an ordinary beverage without
any marked action. But diseased organs and
impaired vital action allow of marked effects
being produced by such waters." This is an
important opinion, and bearing very favourably
upon the Salt Sulphur; if it, indeed, contains
this salt in any appreciable quantity. Be this
as it may, however, experience and analysis
both prove that the Salt Sulphur is a very valuable
water, and there can be little doubt that
as its properties become better understood and it
is judiciously prescribed, it will do much good.
All those valuable springs have been improperly
used in many instances, and the consequence
has been disappointment and failure.
But the reign of empiricism, in this respect, is
drawing to a close; and selfishness and imposture
will fall into merited neglect and contempt.
If we shall, in any degree, have contributed
to such a result, we shall think we
have not lived altogether in vain.

It will be gratifying to the friends of the
Salt Sulphur to learn, that it received, during
last season, a large proportion of custom, and
did a more profitable business than it has done
for years. It richly deserves patronage; for
besides the value of the water, which is beyond
cavil, visiters are treated with uniform kindness
and civility, and sumptuously feasted,
upon all the luxuries of an abundant market,
an unrivalled dairy, and a well-cultivated garden.
Here are not doled out short, thick morsels
of meat; but fine slices of juicy beef or
mutton, or tender venison, and with as good a
will as Joseph helped Benjamin. If, then, our
readers wish to be treated as princes, let them
hie to the Salt Sulphur.