In the vicinity of the spring of Nartzun, and at different elevations in the mountain Aletshuka, before described, there occur several important springs of hot sulphu mous water. The first of these rises from the round extre mity of the principal but shorter ridge, already mention ed as constituting one part of a sort of continuation con nected with that mountain. Near the source of the sews, by the contributions from which this spring is formed, it bath has been hewn in the tophus stone, and contiguous to it a small chamber has been built or wood for the use of bathers. At a quarter height in the moun tain, in an open cleft, upwards of a fathom broad and deep, by ten arshines in length, there is found another natural hot-bath, of a temperature rather higher than that of the inferior spring : this extends into the rock of sand stone towards the cast, is six feet wide, nearly ten fa thoms long, and has a smooth vault not unlike an artifi cial grotto. This is the place resorted to by the Turco man women for bathing, while their husbands make use of the lower bath. At still greater heights than these, and rising progressively one above another, there occur red three other springs of a similar description and character with those just mentioned. With regard to the water of them all, the smell of the sulphur, percepti ble at a considerable distance, the snow-white topnus stone, of a crystalline nature, which is here very fre quent, and the flowers of sulphur precipitated in the channels of the descending water, are sufficient indica tions of its principal constituents. Even after it has run probably over the whole length of the tophus ridge, this water is yet in the most distant springs hotter than the, hand can bear, and causes the mercury to rise in the thermometer of Reaumur 574• degrees, or 162 degrees of Fahrenheit. The abundant calcareous sediment which it deposits, is, at first, and continues for some time af terwards, as soft as pap, in which state it is used by the Cireassians, and other tribes, for whitening their In a bed of this substance, which is four or live incites thick, needles of the spath kind are gradually produced : and tills crystallization becomes more and more frequent, as well as compact, till at length the whole bed is convert( I into a heavy snow-white tophus, that e:;hibits pores and almost perpendicular needles in its fracture. This spe cies of tophus is acted upon by the nitric acid, which causes a violent effervescence, so that the stone is com pletely and speedily dissolved : if exposed to fire, it dis covers no perceptible trace of sulphur. Every pound of the sulphureous water last mentioned contains upwards of 16 grains of a white earthy sediment. The water it self has a slightly styptic, sweetish taste, and evidently contains a portion of alum, vt hi•h reudet s 1t set vice• b. iu diarrlueas and dysenteries, pa titularly when the in passages hare previously been evacuated. In 1 pains, cutaneous eruptions, and inveterate ulcers. it is o essential set•% ice, if used as a warm bath. (loutv ant paralytic patients hate rc covered by its use. But in i• termittent levers this bath ought not to be rest,' red to, a it is apt to occasion dangerous obstructions.
In 1801 an account was given by 'Mr Simpson, a cri mist, of a warm spring discovered in the clu.in of th Caucasian mountains, live versts north-east from the fo: tress of Constantinohor, and forty from the first mention ed cold spring. It runs straight towards the %vest, dov. the steel, declivity of a chalky, ~belly, and curiously co loured mountain, falls from the height of forty-four yards, divides itself into small rivulets, and entirely disappears at the foot of the mountain. Another report was made during thc same year, concerning the Caucasian mineral, waters, by the general Obriezkow, in consequence of which Drs liordinsky and krushev itch, and Skwent zon, a chemist, acre sent thither for the purpose of pro curing such precise and satisfactory information respect ing them as might serve to determine government u he they any, and what steps ought to be adopted NS ith a slew to turning them to useful account. At the same time,
accordingly, 1\1r Skwentzon was employed in ascertain ing the nature and the composition of the two springs just alluded to, the medical gentlemen applied them selves to discover their proper use and application, and in making practical experiments on different indiv iduals of both sexes. The substance of their accounts, in sonic of the particulars of which, it will be perceived, that they have been anticipated it) the observations already introduced, is as follow s : The temperature of the hot spring, during the warm est parts of summer, is, in the evening, from 35 to 37 de grees in Reaumur's thermometer. The quantity of wa ter discharged in three minutes and 15 seconds, is 3580 lb., and its weight is equal to that of distilled w;,ter brought to the strength of a mineral water. It has a smell of sulphur, and contains sulphuric and carbonic acid ; after the evaporation of 300 pounds, till the vessel was quite dry, there remained 12 oz. 7 dr. and 35 grs. of solid matter. The water of this spring is good for curing eruptions of the skin, intermittent agues, scorbutic, c tiro nical and venereal diseases, dropsy, and long standing rheumatisms.
The cold spring, according also to Reaumur's thermo meter, has at all times 10 degrees of temperature. The weight of its water to that of distilled water, is in the proportion of 50 to 30. It is very transparent, has a sharp acrid taste. and a smell of carbonic acid, which sub stance enters into its composition ; alter the evaporation of 400 pounds of it by boiling, mere remained 9 oz. and IZ dr. or solid matter. The effect of tills water, whether drunk, or only applied externally, is very beneficial in chronical ri.euntatisms. in cases or general debility oc casioned by venereal excesses. in hxmorrhoids, king's evil, ring-worms, palsy, internal obstructions, and in all diseases where it is necessary to stimulate and strengthen the ;Action of the vitals.
The composition of this latter, or the cold spring of Constantinohor, as lound by Mt Skwentzon. is that which has been already given. In '20 lb. of the water of the warm spring, the ingredients, according to the result of his analyses, are these ; of carbonic acid, 1061 cubic inches ; of sulphurised hydrogen gas, 80 gr.; of carbo nate of lime, 99i gr. ; of carbonate of magnesia, 17 do.; of sulphate of soda, 101p gr.; of sulphate of lime, 311; of sulphate of magnesia, ; of muriate of soda, 1 5 ; of muriate of magnesia, 1 ; of resinous extract, 1.
Jlr Sk•entzon having ascertained the principal com ponent parts of the two springs in the Caucasian moun tains, which chiefly engaged his attention, drew up and produced, upon his return home, a comparative table of their ingredients with those of other celebrated mineral waters; and government have spared no expencc in ren dering them convenient places of resort.
The mountainous regions of Caucasus have been, from time immemorial, and still are the habitation of bold and valiant warriors, who have, with determined re solution, resisted the reiterated attacks of the Mongols, Arabs, Persians, Tartars, and Russians, and maintained, in a considerable degree, their freedom and indepen dence. On toe most elevated parts at the same time even of these vast ridges, and in almost inaccessible, is found, along with these, a singular mixture of small people of various denominations, differing front one another, most probably in origin as well as in lan guage, but with respect to whom many of the circum stances that appear most curious and out of the common tract, do not easily admit of any tolerable explication. The distinct and appropriate languages spoken in this quarter, are said to be numerous, and to branch out into an incredible diversity of dialects, some of which deviate so entirely from the known languages of Asia and Eu rope, as to admit, in no degree, even of comparison with them ; some arc known languages, without any foreign admixture, and them e are others which seem to consist of a n.ixture of several known ancient languages, such, for example, as the old Georgian, the Mongolian, the Persian, the Arabic, and the Tam tarian.