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mifts, to be compounded of eleven parts of oxygen or vital, and three of hydrogen or inflammable air. It is the moff general folvent in nature, and enters in a greater or lefs degree into the compofition of almost all other bodies; but it is found in the greatest proportion in vegetable and animal bodies. The hardest part of oak lofes, while converting into charcoal, three fourths of its weight. The part thus efcaping has been found to be almost entirely water. Water is rarely found in a pure and unmixed ftate, for as it is capable, at different degrees of temperature, of diffolving the hardeft fubftances, calcareous earths, and even filex, are not uncommonly found in combination with it.

In enumerating the fubftances found on analyzing water, the author begins with atmospherical air, of which most waters contain a portion equal to about one twenty-eighth part of their bulk. By means of this air, the refpiration of fishes is car ried on. If fishes be put into water that has been lately boiled, or diftilled, and confequently from which the atmospherical air has been expelled, they foon die. Water, from which the air has been expelled by boiling, foon recovers it again when cold, by being only placed in an open veffel. All natural waters, fpringing from the earth, contain, Dr. Saunders observes, a portion of carbonic acid gas, or fixed air, in the proportion of aboutth part of their bulk. In fome waters, the proportion of the gas is much larger, fometimes equalling, or exceeding the bulk of the water. It is by means of this gas that water is rendered capable of holding in folution feveral earthy and mineral fubftances, as lime, magnefia, iron. As this gas is but loosely united with the water, it is eafily feparated from it by boiling, and on its evaporation, the earthy and metallic parts are precipitated in the form of a powder. After defcribing the various other fubftances with which water is found to be impregnated, Dr. Saunders proceeds to treat, firft, of " particular waters in common ufe, and then of mineral waters." Of waters in common ufe, the pureft is diftilled water. This is the lightest of all others, containing neither folid nor gaseous fubftances; it is, however, feldom employed to any extent in the preparation of food, or in manufactories, on account of the trouble and expence in procuring it in large quantities. The next in purity and lightness is rain water, which is, the author fays, equal to diftilled water for every purpose, except in the nicer chemical experiments. The next to rain, and nearly equal in purity, is ice and fnow water. Spring water follows. The properties of this are various, according to the strata it has paffed through before it emerges. River water is, in gene

ral, freer from air, and from faline, earthy, and other foreign impregnations, the further it has run from its fources.

"Some ftreams, however, that arife from clean filiceous rocks, and flow in fandy or ftony beds, are from the outfet remarkably pure, Such are the lakes and rivulets in the rocky diftricts of Wales, the fources of the waters of the Dee, and of numerous other rivulets. Such are alfo, in general, the ftreams in Swifferland; the waters of which, Haller fays, are purer than those of any other part of Europe that he has feen."

The author proceeds next, in the fourth chapter, to treat of particular mineral waters, beginning with thofe that are most pure, or that contain the fmaleft portion of foreign matter. Among thefe, the Malvern and the Briftol Hot-well waters claim pre-eminence; Matlock, Buxton, and Bath follow. Under each of thefe heads, the author gives a description of the face of the country where the feveral fprings are fituated, the nature of the foil and productions, the talte and fenfible properties of the waters, then their chemical analyfes, and lastly their medical qualities, or the ufes to which they are advantageously applied, whether taken internally or ufed as baths. The following may ferve as an example of the execution of this part.

"The Malvern water may be confidered as the belt fpecimen that we poffefs of a remarkably pure natural fpring, which has acquired a high reputation as a medicine: there are feveral others in this, as in moft other countries, which have arifen to great confequence, and have been in like manner celebrated in the cure of inflammations of the eyes, fcrophulous fores, and all cutaneous eruptions. Indeed it appears natural, in these unfightly and often loathfome diforders, for the fufferer to repair to the pureft and moft copious fource of the cleanfing element water, whofe refreshing coolness is fo powerful in allaying irritation. One more example of this clafs deferves fome notice, for the celebrity which it formerly enjoyed on this account, and the fanctity attached to its waters.

"Saint Winifrede's well, in the parish of the town of Holywell, in the county of Flint, is one of the finest and most copious fprings in the kingdom*. It rifes out of the lower extremity of a limestone rock, and boils up with great vehemence through the crevices of a handfome ftone refervoir. This is enclofed in a beautiful polygonal building, of the form of a temple in Gothic architecture, dedicated to the tutelary faint of the fountain, which preferves its fource from accidental pollution. From the fpring head it flows into a fpacious bath, neatly conftructed of stone, and overflowing thence, it purfues its

"See Pennant's Tour in North Wales, and the History of the Parishes of Whitford and Holywell, by the fame eminent author,"

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courfe in a deep ftony. channel, and forms a confiderable ftream; which, in the short courfe of two miles to the Dee, where it terminates, is made eminently fubfervient to the purposes of manufacture, by turning the machinery of corn mills, cotton mills, and efpecially the vaft and numerous works in copper and brafs of the Anglesea copper company.*+

Saint Winifrede's well is a remarkably clear, pure, well-tafted water, and is used by the inhabitants around for all domeftic purposes. A century ago, the virtues of this noble fpring were more celebrated than they are at prefent, and the town of Holywell, then chiefly known for its poffeffing this natural treafure, was crouded with visitors from every part of North Wales. Though its utility now is principally confined to the inhabitants, and to the purposes of manufacture, there is no reafon to doubt of its medicinal efficacy in the diforders before mentioned, which are precisely thofe for which the Malvern fpring is now frequented." P. 109.

The next class of waters noticed are the fimple faline waters, the Sedlitz, Epfom, Sea, and Seltzer waters..

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"Seltzer water is the only example which we poffefs of a water, line, alkaline, and at the fame time highly acidulated. Most of the other strongly carbonated waters, are more or lefs chalybeate, and no other of the faline waters contains fo much carbonic acid.

"The effects of this water, when drank in moderate doses, are to raife the fpirits, and encreafe the appetite; it produces no particular determination to the bowels, as its faline contents are in very fmall quantities, but it pretty certainly encreafes the flow of urine. It is chiefly to the ftrong impregnation with carbonic acid, and to the fmall proportion of foda which it contains, that we are to look for the explanation of the very important benefit which is derived from it in a variety of difeafes." P. 230.

Next follow the chalybeate waters, as the Tunbridge, Spa, Pyrmont, which are the moft fimple of this clafs; then the Cheltenham, Scarborough, and fome foreign waters, which, befides iron, contain a portion of purging falts in their compofition. The last clafs of mineral waters is the fulphureous, or those which are fo ftrongly impregnated with fulphur, united either to hydrogen, or to an alkali, or to both, as thereby to acquire very fenfible qualities of fmell and rafte, and to become powerful agents on the human frame. The principal of these

* See Aikin's Tour in North Wales.

"It is a fingular circumftance that mill wheels, and other machinery, if made of woed, are rotted remarkably foon by remaining in this water. This is found to be owing, as Mr. Pennant obferves, to a fpecies of mofs which attaches itself to the wood, and for the production of which this water appears unufually favourable. This inconvenience has obliged the manufacturer to ufe caft-iron water wheels."

are the Harrowgate, Moffat, Aix, Borfet, and Barege. In analyzing the Harrowgate water, it has been found, that

"Characters written on paper with a folution of acetated lead, when plunged into the fresh water, are foon made vifible and rendered nearly black. The fame happens even when the paper is only held over a glafs of the water, but it requires a longer time to produce this change. Thefe circumftances fhew that fulphur is both contained in the water, and is evolved from it in a gafeous form." P. 322.

The volume concludes with obfervations on fimple water, used as a common beverage; on the effects of bathing in river or fea-water, and with fome general Remarks on the Contents of Mineral Waters and their Operations. Thefe will be read by the medical practitioner with great advantage, as will the whole volume; which, comprifing all the most valuable obfervations of preceding writers, contains a larger mass of useful information on the fubject than can be found in any other publication,

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ART. IX. Dr. Gill's Reafons for Separating from the Church of England calmly confidered, in a Leiter to a Friend. 8vo. Is. 12mo. 6d. Rivingtons. 1801.

THIS pamphlet is the production of an elderly clergyman of

Bristol, we understand, very learned, yet very modeft, and with fome difficulty induced to publish it. The work, which he has answered, has been lately reprinted in London, and induftriously circulated at Briftol; bearing upon its head the boast of being unanswerable, and so stimulating even diffidence itself to answer it. The reply however is profeffedly and actually "calm," but lofes not its arguments in its profeffions, and diffipates not its spirit in its calmnefs. The author appears to us as fenfible in his vindication, as he is found in his attachment to the church; and, as our attachment is the fame with his own, we shall dwell circumstantially upon his vindication.

"It deferves to be remarked," as Mr. Harte (for fuch is his name, we understand) very juftly obferves, "that all the congregations of individual many Diffenters in our land, though they profefs to be fo churches, intirely diftinct from, and independent of, each other, form nevertheless one common and complete body. This is tacitly confeffed For it does not exhibit (what might nain the publication before us.

* Dr. Gill's Reasons form a small tract; reprinted at prefent to increase diffent,

turally

turally have been expected) the reafons of the Baptifts as drawn up by the late Dr. Gill, for feparating from the church of England; but of the Diffenters at large: which view of the publication is justified, not only by its title," as the Diffenters' reafons for feparating from the church of England; "but by every page of its contents. This, as well as the particles we' and 'us, adopted throughout the pamphlet, implies that it is a work executed by a corps of delegates, felected from the feveral different denominations of Diffenters; and that, notwithstanding their declarations of mutual independency, they are in reality one general collective fociety, united together by a common tie opposed to that of the church of England, commonly called the DISSENTING INTEREST. So that, however they may be contradiftinguished from each other by different creeds or theological fyftems (Trinitarianifm, Arianifm, Socinianifin, &c.) yet, like the feveral inter-columniations of the rotunda at Rome, they are firmly connected and confolidated in one central dome.”

This obfervation is as judicious in its progrefs, as it is ingenious in its close.

Mr. H. then proceeds to difcufs the reafons, and we attend him with pleasure; felecting only a few out of the many arguments, that from the very weakness of the reasons cannot be particularly pleafing.

**The first reason affigned for diffenting," he obferves, "is a mere fallacy; and proves more than the Doctor would have maintained or relished. For whit it attempts to demonftrate, that the church of England is not a church of Chrift, because it is established by an Act of Parliament; it alfo demonftrates, that every diffenting body of Chriftian profeffors is not a Church of Chrift, becaufe it is established by an act of Parliament; it alfo demonstrates, that every diffenting body of Chriftian profeffors is not a church of Chrift, because it is tolerated, nay ESTABLISHED, by an act of Parliament. It is therefore what is here called a parliamentary church; and it is as much fupported by worldly power and policy" as the church of England. What the celebrated Earl Mansfield pronounced from the Bench in Westminster Hall, in the cafe of Allen Evans, Eq. deferves to be univerfally known; viz. "The Toleration Act renders that which was illegal before, now legal; the Diffenter's way of worship is permitted and allowed by this act; it is not only exempted from punifhment, but rendered innocent and lawful; it is ESTABLISHED; it is put under the protection, and is not merely under the connivance, of the law." See the Gentleman's Mag. for February, 1771,”

This argument is decifive as an argumentum ad hominem, against a reafon which would allow no church to be Chriftian, but what was in actual rebellion to the exifting authorities.

"If to the fourth reafon we allow all the validity for which they contend, with refpect to the feparation of the Diffenters from thofe parish-churches, where nothing but morality refounds from the pulpit; yet how can it be a vindication of their conduct in thofe, where by their prefent confeffion is preached the pure gofpel of Jefus Christ?

"But

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