  Water intended to aid in conducting chemical experiments, should, so far as possible, be free from all foreign substances. As the Daguerreotype process is one of the most difficult in the range of chemical science, the Daguerreian should have at hand the best that circumstances will admit. We have learned, from experience, the disadvantages attendant on those who travel in the country, from village to village in the practice of the Daguerreotype art. When Distilled Water can be obtained, it should be used. It must have no smell, taste, or color; it must evaporate without leaving a residue; it must give no precipitates with solutions of nitrate of silver, chloride of barium, superoxalate of potash, caustic alkalies, carbonated alkalies, sulphurated hydrogen, or hydrosulphate of ammonia. Rain Water generally contains carbonic acid, carbonate of lime, and chloride of calcium. Spring Water contains the same impurities as rain water, superadded to chloride of sodium, sulphate of lime, carbonate of iron, &c. River Water.—More free from salts than spring water, but often contains a large quantity of decomposing vegetable and animal matter. This is particularly the case with water taken from the Hudson, from Troy to its mouth; also, the Mississippi, and, in fact, almost all large streams which are navigated. Lake Water.—All descriptions of stagnant water abound in half-putrified organic remains, as all well know, that the smaller the bulk of liquid, as in the case of the swamp or marsh, the more impure and the more unwholesome it is. To purify Water.—Much has been said about purifying water for Daguerreotype use. We look upon this, so far as chemical agents are employed, in most instances a loss of both time and money; let every one filter the water for use often and freely and we will guarantee that success will be his reward. We will class water in the following order:— 1, Distilled water; 2, rain water; 3, brook water; 4, well water; 5, spring water; 6, river water: yet the water from |
|
