Sulphurous These waters con tain sulphuretted hydrogen or metallic sulphides (sulphurets), or both. The most important sulphurous thermals are those of Aix-la-Cha pelle, Baden, Bareges and Bagneres de Luchon, in Europe. There are hundreds of these sulphurous springs in the United States, in cluding those at Mount Clemens, Mich., Bath, Va., and Warm Springs, Va. They are ex tensively used in chronic disease of the skin, and are of service in many cases in which exudations require to be absorbed, as in swell ings of the joints, in old gun-shot wounds and in chronic gout and rheumatism. The sul phurous waters are employed externally and internally, and mineral mud-baths are believed by many physicians to form a valuable auxiliary.
The commercial output of mineral waters in the United States in 1916 amounted to 55,928,461 gallons, valued at $5,735, 035. The imports in the same year amounted to 1,723,440 gallons. These figures are based on 802 producing springs as against 695 springs in 1908. New York, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, Massachusetts, Connecticut, California and Virginia are the largest producing States in the order given. The above figures do not include the quantities of water drunk at the springs, but do include the natural waters which were carbonated artificially, or otherwise combined and placed on the market for sale. The effect of the war in shutting out the usual supplies from Austria-Hungary and Germany was to increase the demand for American me dicinal waters, so that the receipts for such waters have been larger for the last three years than before. It has been found that there are
springs in America which almost exactly du plicate the analyses of famous foreign springs, and give equal satisfaction to consumers.
The majority of the commercial springs of the United States are found east of the Missis sippi. In the South, Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas are the chief producers of mineral waters. The Hot Springs of Arkansas are among the most important thermal springs in the entire country. The Texas springs are peculiar from the fact that many of them show free sulphuric acid. In Wisconsin the springs of Waukesha are widely known. In New Mex ico, the Las Vegas Hot Springs are often vis ited. There are no hot springs in the New Eng land States.
Goosman, J. C, 'The Car bonic Acid Industry' (Chicago 1906) ; Mitchell, C. W., 'Mineral and Aerated Waters> (London 1913) ; New York State Saratoga Springs Res ervation Commission Report 1914, 'Report on European Spas' (Albany 1914) ; Oefele, F., 'American Balneology> (New York 1915) ; United States Chemistry Bureau Bulletin No. 91, 'Mineral Waters of the United States' (Washington 1905) ; United States Foreign Commerce Bureau, Special Consular Vol. 14, Part 2, 'The Mineral Water Industry' (Washington 1901) ; Walton, G. E., 'The Min eral Waters of the United States and Canada' (New York 1890).