Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 19, Scripture-SUG
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Spa.
SPA [ 481 ] SPA
town is very beautiful. The road winds over the
mountains till it defeends to their bottom, when it
runs along a fmooth valley for a mile or a mile and
a half.
The town confifts of four ftreets in form of a crofs,
and contains about 400 inhabitants. Spa has no wealth
to boaft of. It can fcarcely furnifh the necefiaries of
life to its own inhabitants during the winter, and almoft
all the luxuries which are requilite for the great con-
courfe of affluent vifitors during the fummer are carried
from Liege by women. Its only fource of wealth is its
mineral waters. No fooner does the warm feafon com¬
mence, than crowds of valetudinarians arrive, as well as
many other perfons who are attracted folely by the love
of amufement, and fome from lefs honourable motives.
The inhabitants, who fpend feven or eight months of
the year without feeing the face of a ftranger, wait for
the return of this period with impatience. The wel¬
come found of the carriages brings multitudes from the
town, either to gratify their curiolity, or to offer their
fervices in the hopes of fecuring your employment while
you remain at Spa. Immediately after your arrival, your
name and defignation is added to the printed lift of the
annual vifitors j for which you pay a ftated fum to the
bookfellers, who have a patent for this purpofe from the
prince bifflop of Liege. This lift not only enables one
to know at a glance whether any friends or acquaint¬
ances are refiding there, but alfo to diftinguilh perfons
of rank and fafhion from adventurers, who feldom have
the effrontery to infert their names.
There are twm different ways of accommodating the
vifitors at Spa with lodging and neceffaries. People
may either lodge at a hotel, where every thing is fur-
niihed them in a fplendid and expenfive ftyle ; or they
may take up their relidence in private lodgings, from
which they may fend for provifions to a cook’s fhop.
Among the people who vifit Spa, there are many
perfons of the firft rank and faftiion in Europe. Per¬
haps indeed there is no place in Europe to which fo
many kings and princes refort; but it is alfo vifited by
many felf-ereated nobility, who, under the titles of
counts, barons, marquifes, and knights, contrive by
their addrefs, and artifices, to prey upon the rich and
unexperienced.
The manners eftablifhed at Spa are conducive both
to health and amufement. Every body rifes early in
the morning, at fix o’clock or before it, when a great
many horfes ftand ready faddled for thofe who choofe
to drink, the Sauveniere or Geronftere waters at a little
diftance from Spa. After this healthy exercife a part
of the company generally breakfaft together at Vaux-
hall, a magnificent and fpacious building. At this
place a number of card-tables are opened every fore¬
noon, round which many perfons affemble and play for
ftakes to a very confiderable amount. A ball too is ge¬
nerally held once a week at Vauxhall, befides two balls
at the affembly rooms near the Pouhon in the middle of
the town.
The moft remarkable waters at Spa are, 1. The Pou¬
hon, fituated in the middle of the town j 2. The Sau¬
veniere, a mile and a half eaft from it; 3. Groifbeck,
near to the Sauveniere; 4. Tonnelet, fituated a little to
the left of the road which leads to the Sauveniere ;
5. Geronftere, two miles fouth from Spa ; 6. War-
troz, near to the Tonnelet; 7. Sarts or Nivefet, in the
diftrift of Sarts; 8. Chevron or Bru, in the principality
of Slavelot; 9. Couve ; 10. Beverfe ; 11. Sige ; 12.
Geremont. Thefe four laft are near Malmedy.
Dr Brownrigg was the firft perfon who difeovered
that fixed air, or, as it is now generally called, carbonic
acid gas, forms a principal ingredient in the compofition
of the Spa waters, and aiftually feparated a quantity of
this elaftic fluid, by expofing it to different degrees of
heat from no0 to 170° of Fahrenheit. From 20 oun¬
ces 7 drams and 14 grains apothecaries weight of the
Pouhon wTater, he obtained 8 ounces 2 drams and 50
grains. Since June 1765, when Dr Brownrigg read a
paper on this fubjefl before the Royal Society of Lon¬
don, the waters of Spa have been often analyfed, but
perhaps by none with more accuracy than by Dr Afli,
who publiftied a book on the chemical and medicinal
properties of thefe waters in 1788. We (hall prefent
the refult of his analyfis of the five principal fprings in
the following table.
Fountains.
Quantity
of Wa¬
ter.
Ounce
vnea fares
of Gas.
Solid
contents.
Aeratod
Lime,
Aerated
Magne-
fia.
Aerated
Mineral
Alkali.
Aerated
Iron.
Selenite.
Aerated
Vegetal).
Alkali.
Pouhon
Geronftere
Sauveniere
Groifheck
Tonnelet
Ounces.
33-
32-75
32.50
32.25
a2*
35-75
24-75
33*5°
35-50
4Q-75
Grains.
16.25
5.5°
3-75
5-25
2.00
2-75
2.50
1.50
1.50
^.25
9.50
2.25
i-75
°-75
1.
o-75
I-75
o-75
0.50
0.75
1.
0.50
The Pouhon fpring rifes from the hill to the north
Spa, which confifts of argillaceous fchiftus and fer-
rugineous flate. The other fountains rife from the fur-
Wmding hills to the fouth-eaft, fouth, weft, and north-
weft of the town ; and this ridge of mountains is form¬
ed of calcareous earths mixed with filiceous fubftances.
I he furface of the mountains is covered with woods,
mterfperfed with large boggy fwamps filled with mud
and water. The Pouhon is confidered as the principal
fpring at Spa, being impregnated with a greater quan¬
tity of iron than any of the reft, and containing more
Vol. XIX. Part II.
fixed air than any except the Tonnelet. It is from this
fpring that the Spa water for exportation is bottled ;
for which the demand is fo great, that, according to
the beft information that Mr Thickneffe could obtain, Tbickne/fe’S
the quantity exported amounts to 200,000 or 2 $0,000 Journey
bottles annually. This exported water is inferior in its through
virtue to that which is drunk on the fpot; for the vef-the Pais
fels into which it is collected are injudicioufly expofed to liaS'
the fun, rain, wind, and dull, for feveral hours before
they are corked, by which means a confiderable part of
its volatile ingredients rauft be evaporated; for it has
3 ? been
SPA [ 481 ] SPA
town is very beautiful. The road winds over the
mountains till it defeends to their bottom, when it
runs along a fmooth valley for a mile or a mile and
a half.
The town confifts of four ftreets in form of a crofs,
and contains about 400 inhabitants. Spa has no wealth
to boaft of. It can fcarcely furnifh the necefiaries of
life to its own inhabitants during the winter, and almoft
all the luxuries which are requilite for the great con-
courfe of affluent vifitors during the fummer are carried
from Liege by women. Its only fource of wealth is its
mineral waters. No fooner does the warm feafon com¬
mence, than crowds of valetudinarians arrive, as well as
many other perfons who are attracted folely by the love
of amufement, and fome from lefs honourable motives.
The inhabitants, who fpend feven or eight months of
the year without feeing the face of a ftranger, wait for
the return of this period with impatience. The wel¬
come found of the carriages brings multitudes from the
town, either to gratify their curiolity, or to offer their
fervices in the hopes of fecuring your employment while
you remain at Spa. Immediately after your arrival, your
name and defignation is added to the printed lift of the
annual vifitors j for which you pay a ftated fum to the
bookfellers, who have a patent for this purpofe from the
prince bifflop of Liege. This lift not only enables one
to know at a glance whether any friends or acquaint¬
ances are refiding there, but alfo to diftinguilh perfons
of rank and fafhion from adventurers, who feldom have
the effrontery to infert their names.
There are twm different ways of accommodating the
vifitors at Spa with lodging and neceffaries. People
may either lodge at a hotel, where every thing is fur-
niihed them in a fplendid and expenfive ftyle ; or they
may take up their relidence in private lodgings, from
which they may fend for provifions to a cook’s fhop.
Among the people who vifit Spa, there are many
perfons of the firft rank and faftiion in Europe. Per¬
haps indeed there is no place in Europe to which fo
many kings and princes refort; but it is alfo vifited by
many felf-ereated nobility, who, under the titles of
counts, barons, marquifes, and knights, contrive by
their addrefs, and artifices, to prey upon the rich and
unexperienced.
The manners eftablifhed at Spa are conducive both
to health and amufement. Every body rifes early in
the morning, at fix o’clock or before it, when a great
many horfes ftand ready faddled for thofe who choofe
to drink, the Sauveniere or Geronftere waters at a little
diftance from Spa. After this healthy exercife a part
of the company generally breakfaft together at Vaux-
hall, a magnificent and fpacious building. At this
place a number of card-tables are opened every fore¬
noon, round which many perfons affemble and play for
ftakes to a very confiderable amount. A ball too is ge¬
nerally held once a week at Vauxhall, befides two balls
at the affembly rooms near the Pouhon in the middle of
the town.
The moft remarkable waters at Spa are, 1. The Pou¬
hon, fituated in the middle of the town j 2. The Sau¬
veniere, a mile and a half eaft from it; 3. Groifbeck,
near to the Sauveniere; 4. Tonnelet, fituated a little to
the left of the road which leads to the Sauveniere ;
5. Geronftere, two miles fouth from Spa ; 6. War-
troz, near to the Tonnelet; 7. Sarts or Nivefet, in the
diftrift of Sarts; 8. Chevron or Bru, in the principality
of Slavelot; 9. Couve ; 10. Beverfe ; 11. Sige ; 12.
Geremont. Thefe four laft are near Malmedy.
Dr Brownrigg was the firft perfon who difeovered
that fixed air, or, as it is now generally called, carbonic
acid gas, forms a principal ingredient in the compofition
of the Spa waters, and aiftually feparated a quantity of
this elaftic fluid, by expofing it to different degrees of
heat from no0 to 170° of Fahrenheit. From 20 oun¬
ces 7 drams and 14 grains apothecaries weight of the
Pouhon wTater, he obtained 8 ounces 2 drams and 50
grains. Since June 1765, when Dr Brownrigg read a
paper on this fubjefl before the Royal Society of Lon¬
don, the waters of Spa have been often analyfed, but
perhaps by none with more accuracy than by Dr Afli,
who publiftied a book on the chemical and medicinal
properties of thefe waters in 1788. We (hall prefent
the refult of his analyfis of the five principal fprings in
the following table.
Fountains.
Quantity
of Wa¬
ter.
Ounce
vnea fares
of Gas.
Solid
contents.
Aeratod
Lime,
Aerated
Magne-
fia.
Aerated
Mineral
Alkali.
Aerated
Iron.
Selenite.
Aerated
Vegetal).
Alkali.
Pouhon
Geronftere
Sauveniere
Groifheck
Tonnelet
Ounces.
33-
32-75
32.50
32.25
a2*
35-75
24-75
33*5°
35-50
4Q-75
Grains.
16.25
5.5°
3-75
5-25
2.00
2-75
2.50
1.50
1.50
^.25
9.50
2.25
i-75
°-75
1.
o-75
I-75
o-75
0.50
0.75
1.
0.50
The Pouhon fpring rifes from the hill to the north
Spa, which confifts of argillaceous fchiftus and fer-
rugineous flate. The other fountains rife from the fur-
Wmding hills to the fouth-eaft, fouth, weft, and north-
weft of the town ; and this ridge of mountains is form¬
ed of calcareous earths mixed with filiceous fubftances.
I he furface of the mountains is covered with woods,
mterfperfed with large boggy fwamps filled with mud
and water. The Pouhon is confidered as the principal
fpring at Spa, being impregnated with a greater quan¬
tity of iron than any of the reft, and containing more
Vol. XIX. Part II.
fixed air than any except the Tonnelet. It is from this
fpring that the Spa water for exportation is bottled ;
for which the demand is fo great, that, according to
the beft information that Mr Thickneffe could obtain, Tbickne/fe’S
the quantity exported amounts to 200,000 or 2 $0,000 Journey
bottles annually. This exported water is inferior in its through
virtue to that which is drunk on the fpot; for the vef-the Pais
fels into which it is collected are injudicioufly expofed to liaS'
the fun, rain, wind, and dull, for feveral hours before
they are corked, by which means a confiderable part of
its volatile ingredients rauft be evaporated; for it has
3 ? been
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Description | Ten editions of 'Encyclopaedia Britannica', issued from 1768-1903, in 231 volumes. Originally issued in 100 weekly parts (3 volumes) between 1768 and 1771 by publishers: Colin Macfarquhar and Andrew Bell (Edinburgh); editor: William Smellie: engraver: Andrew Bell. Expanded editions in the 19th century featured more volumes and contributions from leading experts in their fields. Managed and published in Edinburgh up to the 9th edition (25 volumes, from 1875-1889); the 10th edition (1902-1903) re-issued the 9th edition, with 11 supplementary volumes. |
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