Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-06-28
The Hot springs or Arkansas.

froL u. u. Owen is now engaged in q
Geological survey of Arkansas In a COM
munlcation 20 the Little Rock Democrat. he
says OF the celebrated Hot Springs:
There are said to be some thirty or forty
| inherent sources whence hot springs Issue to
the surface. | examined personally and took
the temperature of twenty-five, and found
them to vary from LOG deg. to I49 deg of
Fahrenheit thermometer, manufactured by
Kendall Bro, of London. 1t is said that
the hottest have heen found to range as high
as 100 deg. to 156 deg, but it is a question
whether this difference is to be accounted for
| by variations in the scales of different Their
mometers, or whether the springs are them
selves Intermittent in their temperature. l
| only found one rising as high as l49 deg. one
l4I deg. two IA deg. two l42 deg. the others
ranging from l34 deg. downwards.
These Hot Springs of Arkansas are so far
| as L have been able to learn, the hottest
| springs in the States east of the Rocky Noun
tains; for the Hot Springs of Virginia" only
range from 100 TO LOG degrees. according to
the accounts published of those springs in
lS54,b JobnJ. Norman. VI. D., and the aver
age temperature of the "Warm Springs of
Virginia" is stated. by the same author. to be
only SO degrees of the Fahrenheit scale.
From the number of these springs and the
variety of temperature, baths of any reauir-
and batbers at a moments notice. At present
however, they are all conducted into COM
mon gutter that supplies the reservoirs over
the lighthouses, and, when drawn off for the
dOuche or for the bath-tnb, the water is usual
ly at temperature as hot as the skin can
bear it, and often hotter.
Those who have not been accustomed to ap-
preciate degrees of heat by the Fahrenheit
thermometer will be able to form correcg
no tom t1ra tha
the hottest of them are just the right temper
turp to scald hogs and take the feathers off
chickens. The water of one spring Is con-
Quoted into the kitchen of the hotel, which
there serves for a variety of useful purposes,
and economies fuel.
Where these hot springs have flowed down
the slope of the hill they have deposited in
their course oaLcareOus tqtd, which has coated
the entire surface down to the edge of Hot
Spring creek with crust and wall of porous
carbonate of lime; some of which recently
formed, is still in the state of soft mud:
other portions are more or less indurated. But
little of it has, however. acquired the solidity
or retained the purity of color of the traver-
tino deposited from the hot springs flowing
from the TANKS of the Apprentices, in Italy, |
aud which has been employed in that country |
in the construction of st. Peters and some of |!
the most noble and elaborate architectural |
structures of that country, and forms the pre-
c pito and picturesque cliffs around Tivoll.
My chemical reagent case being at my camp
in White county, where the geological survey
is now progressing. | have not been able on
this occasion, to make thorough test of the
of the hot springs; but | have
applied such as | could obtain in DIR. Ham,
mond's office, at the hot springs, and find the
ingredients:
Carbonic acid, lime, magnesia, and probably
llumina; also silica, chlorides; probably both
Of soda and potash.
Judging from the curative properties of
hese waters, | expect to find'in them, when
hey come to be thoroughly analysed. carbon
lte of potash and soda; as well as iOdides and
lrOmides of these bases, since, in most cases,
grandular swellings and visceral distractions
eeIn to be removed and reduced by the ne of
hese waters. To detect these springs 1t is al
most always necessary first to concentrate the
water by boiling down large quantities of the
water before the chemical reactions of these
nbstances can be brought out. The same re-
marks apply to the detection of arsenic, which
however. is usually best detected in the de-
,osits and sediments. No sulphuretted hydro
zen was detected in the unconcentrated water
# the spring examined. / did not have the
means of testing Tor the presence of either
nitrogen or oxygen.
II reafter, during the regular and systema-
ic progress of the geological survey, | hope
O be able TO report IN detail IN regard 10 the
hemical constituents of these remarkable
lot springs OF Arkansas. | am induced to
'eleve, however, that their effects in the cure
# diseases are due as much, il not more, to
heir elevated temperature than to their che
meal properties; for thermal waters produce
lways powerful effects, both on the vascular
nd nervous systems, and remove, through
he pores of the skin, with the cOpious perspi-
alton induced. etfete obnoxious, and abnor-
lal matters. However, the chemical contents
citing more on the secretory and GRANULAR
rgans, often aid materially in removing OBJ
tructions and regulating the secretions.