A Chemical and Medical Report of the Properties of the Mineral Waters : Of Buxton, Matlock, Tunbridge Wells, Harrogate, Bath, Cheltenham, Leamington, Malvern, and the Isle of Wight, Paperback / softback Book

A Chemical and Medical Report of the Properties of the Mineral Waters : Of Buxton, Matlock, Tunbridge Wells, Harrogate, Bath, Cheltenham, Leamington, Malvern, and the Isle of Wight Paperback / softback

Part of the Cambridge Library Collection - History of Medicine series

Paperback / softback

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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.

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