434 MINERAL WATERS Salt Waters are so called from containing a predominant amount of chloride of sodium. They also generally contain chlorides of magnesia and of lime, and occasionally small amounts of lithium, bromine, and iodine. They further often contain a little iron, which is an important addition. The great majority of the drinking wells have a large supply of carbonic acid. There are cold and hot salt springs. Sometimes they are used for drinking, sometimes for bathing ; and the double use of them is often resorted to. The normal quantity of common salt consumed daily by man is usually set down at about 300 grains. The maximum quantity likely to be taken at any well may be 225 grains, but commonly not more than half of that amount is taken. The increase to the usual daily amount is therefore probably not much more than one-third. Still it may be presumed that the action of a solution of salt on an empty stomach is different from that of the same amount of salt taken with food. Salt introduced into the stomach excites the secretion of gastric juice, and favours the peristaltic actions, and when taken in considerable quantity is distinctly aperient. We thus see how it is useful in dyspepsia, in atony of the stomach and intestines, and sometimes in chronic intestinal catarrh. Salt when absorbed by the stomach appears again in the urine, of which it in creases the amount both of fluid and of solid constituents, especially of the urea. It seems therefore to be pretty certain that considerable quantities of salt taken into the circulation increase the excretion of nitrogenous products through the urine, and on the whole accelerate the transformation of tissue. Salt is thus useful in scrofula by stimulating the system, and also in anaemia, especially when iron is also present. In some German stations, as at Soden, carbonated salt waters are considered to be useful in chronic laryngitis or granular pharyngitis. Baths of salt water, as usually given, rarely contain more than 3 per cent, of chloride of sodium, some of the strongest perhaps from 8 to 10 per cent. Their primary action is as a stimulant to the skin, in which action it is probable that the other chlorides, especially that of calcium, and still more the carbonic acid often present, co-operate. In this way, and when aided by various pro cesses of what may be termed water poultices and packing, they are often useful in removing exudations, in chronic metritis and in some tumours of the uterus, and generally in scrofula and rachitis, and occasionally in some chronic skin affections. The French accord high praise to some of their thermal salt waters in paralysis, and sor e German ones are used in a similar way in spinal affections. The salt waters are sometimes so strong that they must be diluted for bathing. In other cases concen trated solutions of salt are added to make them sufficiently strong. These waters are widely diffused, but on the whole Germany is richest in them, especially in such as are highly charged with salt. The Kissingen springs may be considered as typical of the drinking wells, and sea-water of bathing waters. The air of salt works and pulverization of the water are employed in German baths as remedial agents. Salt springs are found in many quarters of the world, but the chief carbonated groups for drinking purposes occur in Germany, and at Saratoga in America, where very remarkable wells indeed are to be found. France and England have no springs of this class. The stronger wells, used chiefly for bathing, occur where TABLE IV. Salt Springs. Locality. Temp. Falir. Therapeutic Action. Soden, near Frankfort j Dyspepsia, anaemia, scrofula, -< Ilomburg, do Kissingen, Bavaria ( special for t hroat and phth IMS. ( Dyspepsia, slighter hepatic "( affections, chlorosis, gout. c O Pyrmont, Xorth Germany ( Better known for Its iron ; has Kreuznach, near Bingcn t a good salt drinking spring. ( A salt well without carbonic acid Wiesbaden, Nassau 155 bathing more important. ( Used in dyspepsia and gout; the 156 ( bathing is most important. f Still milder water; uses similar; Bourbonne, Haute-Marne 114-149 116-6 ( gout. | Rheumatism, neuralgia, effects j of malaria. ( Do. ; special for treatment of
Salins, Moutiers, Savoy (1480 ft.) Brides, Savoy (1700 ft ) 96 95 ( paralysis. 1 Scrofula, anaemia, loss of power, } sexual disorders. | Act on liverand digestive canal ; Acqui, North Italy 169 1 used for obesity. j Rheumatism; special treatment Abano, do 185 ( with the bath deposit. ( Chiefly as baths; mud of bath Caldas de Mombuy, near ) Barcelona j" 153-158 1 used for poultice, j Rheumatism, sciatica, old in- Cestona, Guipuzcoa, Spain 88-94 | Rheumatism, indigestion, bron- 1 chilis. Almost all the above stations have several springs of various strengths : the cold may be said to vary from 14 to 5 8 per cent, of chloride of sodium ; the warm are generally weaker, perhaps varying from 6 8 to 1 G. there are salt-bearing strata, as in German} , Galicia, Italy, Switzer land, France, and England. Very powerful waters of this class are those of St Catherines in Canada. The presence of minute portions of iodine or bromine in salt waters is by no means infrequent, and they appear in considerable quantity in some few. It is, however, extremely doubtful whether any known spring contains a sufficient quantity of iodine, still more of bromine, to act specially on the system, even if that action were not necessarily superseded by the presence of the large quantity of other salts with which they are associated. Some of the best known springs of the kind are : Challes, Wildegg, Castrocaro, Hall, Adel- heid s Quelle, Krankenheil, Kreuznach, Woodhall Spa. Iron or Chalybeate Waters. Iron usually exists in waters in the state of protoxide or its carbonate, less frequently as sulphate or crenale, and very rarely if at all as chloride. The quantity present is usually extremely small. It may be said to vary from 12 to 03 in the 1000 parts of water. Some wells considered distinct chaly- bsates contain less than 03. Many wells, especially in Germany, have a rich supply of carbonic acid, which is unfortunately wanting in French and English ones. It has long been the prevalent idea that want of iron in the blood is the main cause of chlorosis and of other anaemic conditions, and that these conditions are best relieved by a supply of that metal. Since the detection of it in hsemoglobuline this view has been still more popular. It is pretty certain that the blood contains 37 to 47 grains and the whole system 70 to 74 grains of iron ; and it has been calculated that in normal conditions of the systeln some what more than one grain of iron is taken daily in articles of food, and that the same amount is passed in the frcces; for although the stomach takes the iron up it is excreted by the alimentary canal mainly, it being doubtful whether any is excreted in the urine. It is possible by drinking several glasses to take in more than a grain of carbonate of iron in the day, equivalent to half that amount of metallic iron. It has further been ingeniously reckoned from practice that 10 to 15 grains of metallic iron suffice to supply the deficiency in the system in a case of chlorosis. It is thought probable that a portion of the iron taken up in water is in certain pathological states not excreted, but retained in the system, and goes towards making up the want of that metal. But, whether this or any other explanation be satisfactory, there is no question as to the excellent effects often produced by drinking chalybeate waters (especially when they are carbonated), and by bathing in those which are rich in carbonic acid after they have been artificially heated. As regards the drinking cure we must not, however, forget that carbonate and chloride of sodium, and also the sulphate, are often present and must be ascribed a share in the cure. Thus chloride of sodium is a power TABLE V. Stronger Salt Waters. Locality. Chloride of Sodium in 1000 parts of Water. Therapeutic Application. Rheinfeld, Aargau, Switzerland 311 256 f Scrofula, effects of inflamma- | tion, chronic exudations, { some chronic exanthc- mas, rheumatism, uterine 1. infiltrations. Do. do. Isclil Austria (1440 ft ) 206 Do. do Hall Tyrol (1700 ft ) 255 Do. do. Rcichenhall, near Salzburg (1800 ft.) Bex, Rhone Valley (1400 ft ) 224 156 Do. do. Do. do. Castrocaro, Tuscany 36 Do. do 233-6 Do. do. 30-4 Rehme Westphalia (92 F.) 24-85 (Do.; special use in locomo- Xauheim, Wetterau (80-103 F.).... 29 Do. do. TABLE VI. Iron Waters. Locality Height in Feet. Carb. of Iron. Therapeutic Use. Rippoldsau, Black Forest Homburg, near Frankfort... 1,886 1,465 12 10 08 For anoemic conditions; laxative. Do. do. do. Do. do. do. Liebenstein, North Germany 911 900 08 08 Do.; much of a ladies bath. Bocklet, near Kissingen Griesbach, Black Forest Franzensbad, Bohemia 600 1,614 1,293 08 07 07 07 Do. Do.; laxative; a ladies bath. Do. do. do. Do. 1,000 06 Do. Petersthal, Black Forest St Moritz, Engadine, ^ 1,333 5,464 04 03 Do.; laxative. Do. ; sought for its air. Forges-les-Eaux, Fiance La Malou, He rault, ) France (temp. 88) f 1,463 06 08 04 Do. Do. Do. Tunbridge Wells, England... Mu-pratt Spring, llano- 06 15
Do.; deficient in carbonic acid.