Part of a Letter from Dr. Scipio des-Moulins, to Dr. Hans Sloane, R. S. Secr. concerning a Mineral Water at Canterbury

strong in me, as it was in the Young Man, neither were there any Globules to be observed in it; I say when I told the Doctor this, he seemed to differ from me at first, but afterwards he agreed with me entirely in this Opinion; to wit, that the Matter, which was found upon the Tongue, does not proceed from Fumes and Vapours out of the Stomach, but is protruded out of the Tongue; and added moreover, that when he scraped such like Matter from the Tongues of his Patients, in half an Hours time they were covered again with the Matter which we call the Thrush; and further, that when the Patient being something better had scraped off the Matter upon the Tip of the Tongue somewhat too harshly, he caused his Tongue to bleed, but soon after it had done Bleeding, 'twas again covered with the Thrush. III. Part of a Letter from Dr. Scipio des-Moulins, to Dr. Hans Sloane, R. S. Secr. concerning a Mineral Water at Canterbury. About twelve Years ago a Mineral Water was accidentally detected in this City. In digging the Ground, they first met with a fat black Mold extending itself three Foot deep, and gradually changing into another sort of Earth, very fat and like Butter. This second Lay was two Foot thick; the Colour of it Yellow, something mixt; its Odour strong and Mineral; and a piece of it, being for some time expos'd to the Sun, smell'd much like burning Sulphur. After this they found a Quicksand of a darker Colour than the first Earth, mix'd with several little Stones, and the Smell still stronger than before. Two Foot Foot further, under the Quicksand, a hard Rock appear'd, out of which Water gush'd with some Violence. They dug two Wells at about 7 Feet distance from each other; one about eight or nine Feet deep from its Surface, and twelve from the Surface of the Ground about it, and reacheth the Rock: The other is not so deep by two Foot, and only toucheth the Sand. This last is something stronger of the Sulphur, but the other is stronger of the Mineral Spirit and ferruginous parts. Two Drams of the second Lay of Earth, found in digging, being put into four Ounces of Spirit of Vinegar, there presently arose a considerable Ebullition; and soon after the Spirit was ting'd with a yellow brownish Colour, which suffer'd no alteration with the Infusion of Logwood, nor with Galls, but with Oyl of Tart. p. deliq. turn'd greenish, and with the Infusion of Lig. neph. of a pale red. The Water taken up at the Spring is extraordinary limpid, but grows something whitish in a quarter of an Hour, and in half an Hour the Spirit is lost and the Mineral hangs first on the sides of the Glass, and then falls gradually to the Bottom. It won't keep quite so well as the Spaw or Tunbridge Water. Its Taste is masculine and austere; the Smell ferruginous and strong, something upon the Sulphur: People say it smells like Gunpowder. It will make the Root of the Tongue of the Drinkers look blackish. Linnen wash'd in it turns yellow. It will not lather with Soap. The Glasses the Water is dipp'd with grow yellow, which no scowering can take off, and are apt to fly. In frosty and cold Weather, it is so warm as to melt Ice and Snow; in other Seasons it's cold, though not so cold as some Spring Waters are. The weight of this Water varies much according to the Seasons and Weather. In May 1704, it weighed three Grains lighter than Common Water in the quantity of a Pound. In the Spring of 1705, it was equal in weight to Common Water; and is now still heavier in August following, because of the exceeding dry Weather of that Summer. But in general about Midsummer, if the Weather is no ways extraordinary, it's pretty equal to common Water in weight. A single Grain weight of good Gall will turn a Pint and a half of this Water of a very noble deep red, and in an instant. Syrup of Violets turns it of a Grass green. With the Infusion of Brasile it giveth a deep lively Blue; With that of Lign. nephr. first a light Green, then a light Yellow, with a Blue Crown: With the Infusion of Logwood, a blue Black: With that of Fustick Wood, a dusky Yellow: With the Flowers of Pomgranates, a fair Violet: With Leaves of Thea, a fine purplish Blue: With good Nants Brandy, an Elegant Sky-colour. It turns a Solution of the Sacch. Saturn. Milky in an Instant; and the Solution of Sublimate in some time longer. Ol. tart., per deliq. fp. Sal. Armon. fp. Vitr. &c. make no sensible alteration. In Calm Weather, in Winter especially, a thick oily Film covers the surface of these Waters, of as great a variety of Colours as a Rainbow; a Spoonful of it drunk, hath the effect of, and composeth as much to Sleep, as a moderate Dose of Opium. Some of this Scum, being dried by Evaporation, tasted very fat, and felt so between the Fingers. Some of this Powder being cast upon a red-hot Iron, most of it immediately burn'd away with some sparkling; and what remain'd was of the Colour of Rust of Iron, and tasted partly Stiptick and Earthy, and partly Saltish. The Water itself, being gently evaporated, yields a Yellowish Sediment, more or less, according to the Seasons. Last Spring a Quart yielded six Grains of it; but in September following, the same Quantity afforded me nine Grains; whereas a Pound of Tunbridge Water gave but one single Grain of Sediment to Mr. Boyle, as appears by his Memoirs of Mineral Waters. This Sediment being boil'd in common Water, made a strong Lixivium, with which Acids caus'd no sensible Fermentation; but Syrup of Violets turn'd it Green. This Lixivium being evaporated, yielded a fat Sulphurous Salt, that would not coagulate into Crystals. I can get but three or four Grains of it out of ten Grains of Sediment; but from the Colour and Taste of the Lixivium, I have reason to suspect, that there is a larger proportion of Saline Particles, which, as I conceive, being Volatile, evaporate away with the Water. These are some of the most material Experiments I have made upon these Waters. As for their Medicinal Virtues, I might say a great deal, but hoping to enlarge upon it another time, I shall only tell you, Sir, that from the many and truly wonderful Cures, I believe it to be one of the most excellent Waters of this kind, as yet found out in England. The little Well is very useful in Diseases of the Breast, as in Asthma's, Coughs, Rheums and Catarhs. It hath cured several given over of Consumptions of the Lungs. Most Disorders of the Stomach are cured by this Water. It seldom fails in the Cure of Rheumatick gouty Pains of the Limbs, or other Parts of the Body, in the Scurvy and Melancholy Distempers, Jaundice, Vapours, all sorts of Stoppages, Scabs, Itch, &c. But in Gravel, Cholick, and Greensickness, 'tis a true Specifick, as also in inward Ulcers, if not too far gone. A Potter of Bolton, who had spent his Substance in Doctors, and was last Spring discharged out of St. Thomas's Hospital, as an Incurable Person, hath been cured of his Ulcer in the Bladder this Summer, with drinking of this Water for three Months together. In Agues it is beyond the Bark: I have seen some Rebellious ones, that could not be removed by the Bark, perfectly cured by this Water, and some Constitutions quite worn out by the frequent Relapses of this Distemper, re- stored again. This is also remarkable, that it agrees best with old, decay'd, and weak Constitutions. The Water sets pleasantly upon the Stomach, works off by Urine very briskly, causeth a good Appetite, cheers the Spirits, and procures Sleep. It is not binding, as some other Chalybeats are, but keeps the Body open to most People, and upon some it brings now and then a gentle Looseness, which carries off the Distemper. For these four Years I have prescrib'd 'em to many Scores of People every Season, and I could never observe any inconveniency, or ill Symptom arise from the Drinking of 'em. --- IV. An Account of the Cure of two Sinuous Ulcers possessing the space of the whole Arm, with an Extraordinary Supply of a Callus which fully answers the Purposes of the Os Humeri lost in time of Cure. From Mr. John Fawler, Surgeon to the Sick and Wounded at Deal, to Dr. William Cockburn, F. R. S. SIR, YOU persuade me that it will be very acceptable to the Royal Society, to give them some Account of that troublesome Cure I spoke of to you, whereby these diligent Naturalists may be likewise furnish'd with an uncommon instance of the Power, as well as the Bounty of Nature, in providing against the loss of the Bone of the Arm with a Wonderful Callus. The Case was of John Marsh, of the Parish of Denton in the County of Kent; he was about 16 Years Old. This young Man was troubled with a Tumour on his Arm in