WATER, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL

In making an artificial mineral water it must be remembered that it is seldom possible to reproduce the water by merely combining its chemical components. In other words, the analysis of the water cannot serve as a basis from which to prepare it, because even though all of the components were put together, many would be found insoluble, and others would form new chemical combinations, so that the result would differ widely from the mineral water imitated.

For example, carbonate of magnesia and carbonate of lime, which are important ingredients in most mineral waters, will not make a clear solution unless freshly precipitated. Hence, when these are to be reproduced in a mineral water it is customary to employ other substances, which will dissolve at once, and which will, upon combining, produce these salts. The order in which the salts are added is also a very important matter, for by dissolving the salts separately and then carefully combining them, solutions may be effected which would be impossible were all the salts added together to the water in the portable fountain.

In this connection the following table will be found useful:

Explanation of Groups.—The explanation of the use of these groups is simple. When about to prepare an artificial mineral water, first ascertain from the formula which of the ingredients belong to group 1. These should be dissolved in water, and then be filtered and added to distilled water, and thoroughly agitated. Next the substance or substances belonging to group 2 should be dissolved in water, then filtered and added to the water, which should again be agitated. And so the operation should proceed; whatever ingredients are required from each group should be taken in turn, a solution made, and this solution, after being filtered, should be separately added to the fountain, and the latter be well agitated before the following solution is added.

For groups 1, 3, and 4, the salts should be dissolved in 5 times their weight of boiling, or 10 times their weight of cold, water. For group 2 (lithium carbonate) the proportions should be 1 part of lithium carbonate to about 130 parts of cold or boiling water. The substances mentioned in group 5 are added to the portable fountain in their solid state, and dissolve best when freshly precipitated. As carbonic acid gas aids their solution, it is best to charge the fountain after they are added, and agitate thoroughly, blowing off the charge afterwards if necessary.

In group 5 the lithium carbonate is dissolved in the acids (see also group 2), the iron and manganese salts are dissolved in 5 parts of boiling, or 10 parts of cold, water, the solution quickly filtered, the acids added to it, and the whole mixture added to the fountain already charged with gas, the cap being quickly taken off, and the solution poured in. The iron and manganese salts easily oxidize and produce turbidity, therefore the atmospheric air should be carefully {740} blown off under high pressure several times while charging fountains. The substances mentioned in group 7 are never put into the fountain, except the arseniate of sodium in the case of Vichy water, which contains but a trifling amount of this compound.

Most of the solutions may be prepared beforehand and be used when required, thus saving considerable time.

Formulas for various waters will be given at the end of this article.

A question which arises in preparing mineral waters is: What is the best charging pressure? As a general rule, they are charged to a lower pressure than plain soda; good authorities even recommend charging certain mineral waters as low as 30 pounds pressure to the square inch, but this seems much too low a pressure for the dispensing counter. From 50 to 120 pounds pressure would be a good limit, while plain soda may be served out as high as 180 pounds. There must be enough pressure completely to empty the fountain, while enabling sufficient gas to be retained by the water to give it a thorough pungency. Moreover, a high pressure to the mineral water enables a druggist at a pinch, when he runs out of plain soda, to use his Vichy water, instead, with the syruped drinks. The taste of the Vichy is not very perceptible when covered by the syrup, and most customers will not notice it.

Apollinaris Water.—

Sodium carbonate2,835 grains
Sodium sulphate  335 grains
Sodium silicate   10 grains
Magnesium chloride  198 grains
Calcium chloride   40 grains
Potassa alum   57 grains
Magnesium carbonate hydrate  158 grains
Iron sulphate   21 grains

Hunyadi Water.—

Magnesium sulphate400 parts
Sodium sulphate400 parts
Potassium sulphate  2 parts
Sodium chloride 31 parts
Sodium bicarbonate 12 parts
Water  1 quart

Lithia Water.—

Lithium carbonate  120 grains
Sodium bicarbonate1,100 grains
Carbonated water   10 gallons

For “still” lithia water, substitute lithium citrate for the carbonate in the above formula.

Seltzer Water.

Vichy Water.

Vichy (Grande Grille).

Sodium iodide    0.016 parts
Sodium bromide    0.08 parts
Sodium phosphate    2 parts
Sodium silicate   80 parts
Potassium sulphate  125 parts
Sodium chloride  139 parts
Sodium carbonate6,792 parts
Aluminum chloride    1 part
Strontium chloride    1 part
Ammonium chloride    3 parts
Magnesium chloride   24 parts
Calcium chloride  170 parts
Manganese sulphate    0.46 parts
Iron sulphate    1 part
Sulphuric acid   40 parts
Water to make   10 gallons

Mix the first 7 ingredients with about 10 times their weight of water and filter. In the same manner, mix the next 5 ingredients with water and filter; and then the last 3 ingredients. Pour these solutions into sufficient water contained in a fountain to make 10 gallons, and charge at once with carbon dioxide gas.

Waters like the above are more correctly named “imitation” than “artificial,” as the acidic and basic radicals may bear different relations to one another in the natural and the other.