PHYSICAL AND ORGANOLEPTIC PROPERTIES OF THIS WATER.
It is clear, colorless, odorless: it has no decided taste. Its density is scarcely greater than that of distilled water.
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES.
The water of the grotto of Lourdes acts as follows, with reagents:
With Red Tincture of Turnsol.—It becomes blue.
Lime-water.—The mixture becomes milky; an excess of the water of grotto redissolves the precipitate first formed.
Soapsuds.—It becomes very cloudy.
Chloride of Barium.—No apparent action.
Nitrate of Silver.—Slight white precipitate, which partly dissolves in nitric acid.
Oxalate of Ammonia.—Scarcely any sensible action.
Submitted to the action of heat in a glass retort communicating with a receiver, the water yielded a gas partly absorbed by potassa. The portion thus left undissolved was partly absorbed by phosphorus; finally, there remained a gaseous residuum possessing all the properties of nitrogen. At the same time that this gas was disengaged, the water was slightly clouded and precipitated a white deposit, slightly tinged with red. Treated with hydrochloric acid, this deposit was dissolved, producing a lively effervescence.
I saturated the acid solution with an excess of ammonia; this reagent caused the precipitation of several light flakes of a reddish color, which I carefully separated. These flakes washed with distilled water I treated with caustic potash, which took nothing from them. I washed the flakes again, and dissolved them in chlorhydric acid; then I further diluted the solution with water, and submitted it to the action of several reagents, whose effects I will proceed to indicate:
Yellow Cyanide of Potassium and Iron.—Blue precipitate.
Ammonia.—Reddish brown precipitate.
Tannin.—Principally black.
Sulpho-Cyanide of Potassium.—Blood-red color.
The liquid, separated from the flaky deposit, gave with oxalate of ammonia an abundant white precipitate. Having separated this precipitate by a filter, I threw phosphate of ammonia into the clear liquid; this reagent determined the formation of a new white precipitate.
I evaporated to dryness five litres of the water, and treated the dry residuum with a small quantity of distilled water in order to dissolve the soluble salts. The solution thus obtained was turned blue by red tincture of turnsol. I again evaporated the solution thus obtained, and poured alcohol over the dry residuum; this being set on fire, gave a pale yellow flame, such as is produced by salts of soda. I again dissolved the residuum in a few drops of distilled water, and mixed the solution with chloride of platina; a slight canary-colored precipitate was formed in the mixture.
Having acidulated two litres of the water of the grotto of Lourdes with chlorhydric acid, I evaporated it to dryness, and found the residuum taken by the acidulated water to be but partly dissolved. The insoluble part presented all the appearance of silica.
I submitted to evaporation ten litres of the water of the grotto of Lourdes, in which I found a very pure carbonate of potassa had been previously dissolved. The result of the evaporation was moistened with boiling alcohol, and, again evaporated to dryness, the residuum was heated to a dull red.
The product of this operation was dissolved, after cooling, in a few drops of distilled water, and mixed with a little starch paste. Carefully treating this mixture with weakly chlorated water, I saw the liquid take a blue tint.
Submitted to distillation, the water of the grotto of Lourdes gives a slightly alkaline distilled product.
From these facts it follows that the water of the grotto of Lourdes holds in solution:
1. Oxygen.
2. Nitrogen.
3. Carbonic acid.
4. Carbonates of lime, of magnesia, and a trace of carbonate of iron.
5. An alkaline carbonate or silicate, chlorides of potassium and sodium.
6. Traces of sulphates of potassa and soda.
7. Traces of ammonia.
8. Traces of iodine.
The quantitative analysis of this water, made according to the ordinary methods, gives the following results:
Water 1 kilogramme. Centig. Carbonic acid 8 Oxygen 5 Nitrogen 17 Ammonia traces. Gr. millig. Carbonate of Lime .096 Carbonate of Magnesia 0.012 Carbonate of Iron traces. Carbonate of Soda traces. Chloride of Sodium 0.008 Chloride of Potassium traces. Silicate of Soda, and traces of Silicate of Potassa 0.018 Sulphates of Potassa and Soda traces. Iodine traces. 0.134
| Water | 1 kilogramme. |
| Centig. | |
| Carbonic acid | 8 |
| Oxygen | 5 |
| Nitrogen | 17 |
| Ammonia | traces. |
| Gr. millig. | |
| Carbonate of Lime | .096 |
| Carbonate of Magnesia | 0.012 |
| Carbonate of Iron | traces. |
| Carbonate of Soda | traces. |
| Chloride of Sodium | 0.008 |
| Chloride of Potassium | traces. |
| Silicate of Soda, and traces of Silicate of Potassa | 0.018 |
| Sulphates of Potassa and Soda | traces. |
| Iodine | traces. |
| 0.134 |
[104] According to the old Irish chronicles, Cormac, King of all Ireland, renounced the worship of idols about two centuries before the arrival of St. Patrick, having received in a vision the promise of the true faith.
[105] See the second volume of this periodical for 1861, and also the number for March, 1870.
[106] Thus I will, thus I command: let my will stand for a reason.
[107] Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1871, by Rev. I. T. Hecker, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.
[108] Marangoni: Life of the Servant of God, Father Buonsignore Cacciaguerra.
[109] In his Speculum Historiale, lib. iv., chap. 22.
[110] See the notes of Jacques Laderchi in the life of St. Cecilia published by him, and the long list of memorials which he has collected in her honor. Sanctæ Ceciliæ, V. et M., acta: edidet Jacobius Laderchius. 2 vols. in 4to, Rome, 1723. The work is very rare, but may be found in the Imperial Library, Paris.
[111] Justice and gratitude oblige us to acknowledge the great advantage we have received from Dom Guéranger's book. As well written as it is learned, it is still the best history of St. Cecilia. But the learned Benedictine has only touched slightly on the influence of St. Cecilia on the fine arts, and we have been obliged to fill out these notes by personal research and observations made in a recent journey to Italy.