state. We have only to evaporate a portion of the
water to dryness, and redissolve the saline residue in distilled water.
The silicious sand remains undissolved, and betrays itself by its
insolubility in acids, and its easy fusibility into a transparant glass,
with soda, before the blow-pipe.

DELETERIOUS EFFECTS OF KEEPING WATER FOR DOMESTIC ECONOMY IN LEADEN
RESERVOIRS.

The deleterious effect of lead, when taken into the stomach, is at
present so universally known, that it is quite unnecessary to adduce
any argument in proof of its dangerous tendency.

The ancients were, upwards of 2000 years ago, as well aware of the
pernicious quality of this metal as we are at the present day; and
indeed they appeared to have been much more apprehensive of its effects,
and scrupulous in the application of it to purposes of domestic economy.

Their precautions may have been occasionally carried to an unnecessary
length. This was the natural consequence of the imperfect state of
experimental knowledge at that period. When men were unable to detect
the poisonous matters--to be over scrupulous in the use of such water,
was an error on the right side.

The moderns, on the other hand, in part, perhaps, from an ill-founded
confidence, and inattention to a careful and continued examination of
its effects, have fallen into an opposite error.

There can be no doubt that the mode of preserving water intended for
food or drink in leaden reservoirs, is exceedingly improper; and
although pure water exercises no sensible action upon metallic lead,
provided air be excluded, the metal is certainly acted on by the water
when air is admitted: this effect is so obvious, that it cannot escape
the notice of the least attentive observer.

The white line which may be seen at the surface of the water preserved
in leaden cisterns, where the metal touches the water and where the air
is admitted, is a carbonate of lead, formed at the expense of the metal.
This substance, when taken into the stomach, is highly deleterious to
health. This was the reason which induced the ancients to condemn leaden
pipes for the conveyance of water; it having been remarked that persons
who swallowed the sediment of such water, became affected with disorders
of the bowels.[18]

Leaden water reservoirs were condemned in ancient times by Hyppocrates,
Galen, and Vitruvius, as dangerous: in addition to which, we may depend
on the observations of Van Swieten, Tronchin, and