Apollinaris spring : decision of the United States Treasury dated 28th January 1882 and report of Colonel Tichenor, special European agent of the United States Treasury dated 31st August 1881 / [Charles J. Folger, Geo C. Tichenor].

  • Folger, Charles J. (Charles James), 1818-1884.
Date:
1882
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Apollinaris spring : decision of the United States Treasury dated 28th January 1882 and report of Colonel Tichenor, special European agent of the United States Treasury dated 31st August 1881 / [Charles J. Folger, Geo C. Tichenor]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    character of it are not changed from what they were in the spring, and that it is not the purpose to make any change by putting in the salt; and that the purpose is the same as that of putting the water in air-tight vessels, namely, to keep it in the state in which it is procured from the earth for a length of time, long enough to permit transportation to other countries. It is claimed that there is put into it carbonic acid gas in greater proportion than that gas exists in it in nature. I do not think this is maintained. The allegation depends much upon speculation. When it leaves speculation it depends upon whence the water is got with which to make analyses. It may be conceded that if the water is taken from the lip of the spring, there is to be found in it, on analysis, less of that gas than is found in it when taken from the bottles or jugs. But the water that is put into the bottles or jugs is not taken from the lip of the spring. It is taken from down in the spring fifty feet or so. The facts show that at that depth there may be, and doubtless is, as much of that gas in the water while it is in the spring as is found in the water from the bottles or jugs. But it is claimed that the water of nature is the water just where nature hands it to man, that is, at the brink of the spring. I cannot agree to that. Is not the water at the bottom of a well sixty feet deep as much natural water as water in a creek but a few inches deep ? Coal or other mineral taken from the depths of the earth is a production of nature. If the water is drawn from the depths of the spring into the vessels it is natural water, though it have in it more of one ingredient than is found in it when taken from the surface of the spring. The more serious question arises from the manner of manipula¬ tion of the water and the gas. The water is taken from the spring by one means, the gas separately by another, though not unlike means, and the two ingredients are afterwards combined. It is claimed that more of the gas is put into the water when it is bottled than ever was in it at any depth of the spring. This is not sustained, and the only question is whether, with no greater quantity or proportion of an ingredient than existed in the water at some depth of the spring, the separation of the ingredients first, and the combination of them after in the original proportions, is the creation of an artificial water ?