Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 004.djvu/249

 besides the Saltness dispersed throughout the whole Body of the Earth, easily imbibed by water. He will rather allow the Peripatetical Torrefaction by the Sun to be the Cause; which seems very improbable: For, the Suns heat cannot act more powerfully on water to this Effect, than Fire doth; yet this will never give saltness to water, that is not already impregnated with saline particles. And his Argument against his Adversary seems not convincing; namely, That it should, if made by Fossil Salt, kill all Fish, as well Sea-fish, and Fresh-fish; for so, saith he, Saltput to fresh water doth. As the matter of Fact is not evident, that Salt put to fresh-water should kill Sea-fish (the contrary of which I have experimented in Oysters;) so it seems not probable, that the Salt, which was lately-imbodied with the water in the Sea, and was then natural to Fish, should, after its reparation and reunion again in the like proportion, prove so fatal. That the Salt of Sea-water and Salt-springs is the same with Fossil Salt, will be no hard matter to shew. The Inland Salt-springs do receive their Saltnes from this Salt, or from nothing else that coms within our imagination. From the Sea it cannot be supposed to come at such remote distances, as we do frequently find it.

Concerning the Salt-spring at East Chenock in Somersetsh, I shall tell you, That the last week, being at Mr Rs. house, I made tryal of that Salt-spring, above 20. miles from the Sea; which, though not so salt then (by reason of the late Raines) as in Summer, yet from a Wine-quart, by Evaporation, we obtained near 80. grains, part of which I here send you. Neither can these Springs be lair from the Suns Torrefaction, since they lye no nearer to the Sun's force than many other Springs about them; which yet continue fresh.

Moreover, if I may guess at the Ingredients of those Waters, which we call Chalybcate, audand [sic] particularly of this at Farrington in Dorset-shire;* I think them to be impregnated principally from the Vitriol or Salt of Iron, which is very Volatile; so that little of it can be found, by evaporation of a great quantity, or from the precipitated sediment. The proportion of Salt in this water I found after this manner. I put 4 ounces of ordinary clear water into a Glass,


 * Which is the same, that was, by a mistake, said (in Numb. 51. p. 1039. l. 2.) to be at Stalbridge in Somersetsch.