Of Some Other Not-Common Springs at Basel and in Alsatia

Alum, Sulphur, Niter, Orpiment, used against Epilepsies bad Spleens, and the Wormes; the other is Ice-cold, turbid and whitish, much stronger in tast, and heavier than the former, holding much Orpiment, Salt, Iron, Niter, and some Sal-Armoniack, Allum and Vitriol; Of this all Birds, observed to drink of it, doe dye; which I have also privately experimented by taking some of it home, and giving it to Hens, after I had given them Oates, Barly and Bread-crums: For, soon after they had drunk of it, they became giddy reeled, and tumbled upon their backs, with convulsion-fitts, and so dyed with a great extention of their leggs. Giving them common-salt immediately after they had drunk, they dyed not so soon; giving them vineger, they dyed not at all, but seven or eight days after were troubled with the Pipp. Those that dyed, being open'd, their Lungs were found quite shrivelled together. Yet some men, that are troubled with Worms; taking a little quantity of it, and diluting it in common water, have been observed by this means to kill the Worms in their bellies, so that a great number of worms come from them; whereupon though they are sick, yet they dye not. As to the third stream, that lyes lower than the other two, about 20 paces distant from them, it is of a greenish colour, very clear, and of a sowre sweet tast, pleasing enough. It hath about a middle weight between the other two; whence wee guess, that it is mixed of them both, meeting there together: to confirm which, we have mixed equal quantities, of those two, with an addition of a little common well-water, and have found that they, being stirred together and permitted to settle, made just a water of the same colour and tast of this third stream. Of some other not-common Springs at Basel and in Allatia. A Curious Person writes from those Places in manner following: At Basel the Spring, running in the Gerbergasse (or Tanner's street) from St. Leonard's Hill, is of a Blewish colour, and somewhat troubled, holding Copper, Bitumen, and Antimony, about 3 parts of the first, one of the second, and two of the last, as has been examined by skilful Persons. Our Tanners do water their Skins in it; and being a well-tasted and wholesome Water, it is both much drunk, and used to Bath in. It mingles with another Spring-water, call'd the Birseck, and with it, between the Salt-tower and the Rhine-gate runs into the Rhine. In the same Town (which abounds with Spring-waters) there are two, among the rest, called Baudulph's well, and Brun Zum Brunnen, that are more observable than the other; the former of them having a Camphory and drying Quality, and used against Hydropical Distempers; the latter containing some Sulphur, Saltpeter and Gold, and being an excellent Water to drink, much used in the principal Tavern of the City, where the chief of the Town do resort, and near which it runs. In Alsacia in the Valley, called Leberthal, near Geesbach (an ancient Mine-work) there runs out of a Cavern a foul, fattish, oily Liquor, which, though the Country-men of that place employ to the vile use of greasing their Wheels; instead of ordinary Wheel-grease; yet doth it afford an excellent Balsom, by taking a quantity of it, and putting it in an Earthen Pot well luted, that no steam may exhale; and then with a gentle Fire at first, but a stronger afterwards, boiling it for three hours together; in which space it will boil in a fourth part, and an Earthen Matter, like Pitch, will settle itself at the bottom: but on the top thereof, when cold, there will swim a fatty Substance, like Lyne-Oyl, limped and somewhat yellowish, which is to be decanted from the thick Sediment, and then gently distilled in an Alembick in Arens; by which means, there will come over two differing Liquors, one Phlegmatick, the other Oily, which which latter swimming on the Phlegm, is to be severed from it. The Phlegm is used as an excellent Restorer and Curer of all the Putrefactions of the Lungs and Liver, and it heals all foul Wounds and Ulcers. The Oily part, being diluted with double its quantity of distilled Vineger, and brought three times over the Helm, yields a rare Balsom, against all inward and outward Corruptions, stinking Ulcers, hereditary Scours and Scabs: 'Tis also much used against Apoplexies, Palsies, Consumptions, Giddinesses, and Head-aches. Inwardly they take it with Succory-water against all corruptions of the Lungs. It is a kind of Petroleum, and contains no other Mineral Juice, but that of Sulphur, which seems to be thus distilled by Nature under ground; the distillation of an Oyl out of Sulphur by Art, being not so easy to perform. Of the richest Salt-Springs in Germany. An Account having been desired of those two chief Salt-Springs in Germany, at Hall and Lunenburg, it was lately transmitted thus: The Salt Springs at Hall in Saxony are four, called Gutiaar, the Dutch-Spring, the Metritz, and the Hackel-dorn; whereof the three first hold near the same proportion of Salt; the last holds less, but yields the purest Salt. The three first hold about seven parts of Salt, three of Marcasit, and fourteen of Water: They are, besides their Economical use, employed Medicinally to Bath in, and to draw a Spirit out of it, exhibited with good success against Venom, and the putrefaction of the Lungs, Liver, Reins, and the Spleen. The Salt Water at Lunenburg, being more greenish than white, and not very transparent, is about the same nature and hold with that of Hall. It hath a mixture of Lead with it, whence also it will not be sod in Leaden Pans; and if it held no Lead at all, it would not be so good, that Metal being judged to purifie the Water: whence also the Salt of Lunenburg