Essay on the mineral waters of Carlsbad/Analysis of the waters, and the Carlsbad salt
ANALYSIS
OF THE
WATERS, AND THE CARLSBAD
SALT.
ABOUT the middle of the sixteenth century, C. G. Springsfeld and J. G. Tilling, saxon physicians, attempted to analyse the waters of Carlsbad; but why should we recall at present the proceedings and notions of infant chymistry?
We are indebted to David Becher, of Carlsbad (born in 1725, † 1792), whose multifarious merits can not be too much praised, for the first regular analysis of our waters, in 1770, and Berzelius himself, in 1822, expressed the highest admiration for the talent and chymical knowledge displayed by Becher, with such imperfect means. He examined the Sprudel, the Neubrunn, the Gartenbrunn (now Theresienbrun), and the Schlossbrunn, and found in all the same constitutive parts, viz:
sulfate of soda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2,52 parts |
carbonate of soda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
1,54 parts„ |
muriate of soda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
0,87 parts„ |
carbonate of lime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
0,56 parts„ |
iron oxid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
0,06 parts„ |
| 5,55 parts. | |
A later analysis by the celebrated Klaproth, of Berlin, who visited Carlsbad, in 1789, proved so similar to that of Becher, that, instead of relating it, I shall only give here the result obtained, in 1822, by Mr. Berzelius, who not only confirmed what had been found previously, but discovered many other constituent parts, unknown to his predecessors. His analytic proceedings are well known to learned chymists.
“The Carlsbad water,” says he, “is clear and colourless. Drunk at the wells, it tastes like weak chicken-broth; but, after some time, it contracts an alkaline and disagreable taste. It has no smell, and the existence of sulfureus hydrogen gaz is not to be detected by any test. Heated in a closed vessel, it deposits a very small quantity of a light yellowish sediment, the colour of which indicates evidently an oxid of iron. The specific weight of the water is + 18° C 1004,975. I weighed the Sprudel, the Hygiaea, the Mühlbrunn, the Neubrunn and Spitalbrunn water, and found precisely in all the same specific weight.”
As collective result of all his analytic experiments, Mr. Berzelius found in 1000 parts of weight of the Sprudel water:
sulfate of soda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2,58713 |
carbonate of soda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
1,26237 |
muriate of soda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
1,03852 |
carbonate of lime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
0,30860 |
fluate of lime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
0,00320 |
phosphate of lime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
0,00022 |
carbonate of strontian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
0,00096 |
carbonate of magnesia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
0,17834 |
sub-phosphate of alumine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
0,00032 |
carbonate of iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
0,00362 |
carbonate of manganese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
0,00084 |
silice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
0,07515 |
| 5,45927. | |
He ascertained in the Mühlbrunn, Neubrunn and Theresienbrunn, not only the same constituent parts, but he found them precisely in the same proportions as in the Sprudel water.
As to the quantity of carbonic acid gaz, Becher found as much of it in the Carlsbad water as its bicarbonates could contain.
It appears that the Sprudel, as it issues from the wells, contains a little more carbonic acid gaz than the quantity of the bicarbonates.
The Theresienbrunn contains besides 1% of azote.
The celebrity of Mr. Berzelius and his analytic proceedings, forming a new aera in the chymical investigation of mineral waters, are of the highest importance in our medical practice. They should calm at least the anxiety of invalids, and rectify sundry erroneous notions, adopted too slightly, even by physicians, about material differences between one spring and the other.
The Carlsbad salt (sulfate of soda), extracted since 1708, on the advice of Gottfried Berger, physician to Augustus I, king of Poland and elector of Saxony, at the expense of much fuel, is obtained, since Becher recommanded it, by the mere evaporation of the mineral water. A number of kettles, filled with it, are dept in the same water. That water is constantly renewed by streams of the Sprudel, in the vicinity of which that simple and cheap operation can be seen by any one passing near it. The residuum is freed from its calcareous parts by a second operation in larger vessels, and in a cooler place, where the crystals form themselves.
The Carlbad salt, a revenue of some importance to the town, is often prescribed to drinkers, to assist the purgative effect of the waters; and many provide themselves with one or two pounds of it, to be used, if necessary, after their departure. The salt is sold, under public authority, in boxes of various size, with the town seal. The usual dose is from two to four drachms, dissolved in water.
Various experiments and calculations have been made, to ascertain the quantity of sulfate and carbonate of soda, which the Sprudel alone, by its various orifices, might produce. The apparatus used hitherto for that measurement, was no doubt very imperfect, but a mere view of the abundant fountain will convince any one of the enormous quantity of Sprudel water running to no purpose into the river. Klaproth calculated approximatively that one could obtain yearly 746,884 ℔. of sulfate and 1,32,923 ℔. of carbonate of soda; whilst another chymist, Mr. Gilbert, finding erroneous the basis of Klaproth’s calculations, estimates the yearly quantity of those two salts to 200,000 quintals of carbonate of soda. Considering the advantages which might arise from the extraction of such an enormous quantity of soda in a country, like Bohemia, where so much glass is manufactured, several speculators have been struck with the utility of an undertaking, which Mr. Berzelius (Almanach de Carlsbad, 1835, ch. III) thinks easy and infallible. The citizens of Carlsbad, it is true, believe still that whatever is extracted from their springs and sold abroad, must be detrimental to the prosperity of the place; but such prejudices would easily give way to rational consideration.
