ISBN-13: 9781108062022 / Angielski / Miękka / 2013 / 282 str.
ISBN-13: 9781108062022 / Angielski / Miękka / 2013 / 282 str.
In medical terms, 'mineral water' was, in the early nineteenth century, any water that appeared to have an effect on human health. British physicians often prescribed mineral waters from particular locations - most commonly those at Bath - for a variety of illnesses. However, there was little available information on the chemical composition of these waters, and extant manuals were often inaccurate. This report by the physician Charles Scudamore (1779 1849) appeared in 1820, the first of its kind for decades. Having visited several well-known spas and wells, including Bath, Buxton and Cheltenham, Scudamore conducted a series of experiments on water samples: he reports using litmus, turmeric and violet papers to judge alkalinity levels; documents testing for various minerals using anything from soap to silver; and explains in detail the difference between hard and soft water. His report remains insightful reading in the history of medicine."