Analyses of the Waters of Hot Springs of Arkansas
Haywood J. 1912. Analyses of the Waters of Hot Springs of Arkansas. Government Printing Office. Washington, D.C.
The Hot Springs of Arkansas are situated in Garland County immediately adjacent to Hot Springs City, on the western slope and at the base of Hot Springs Mountain, a spur of the Ozark Range. Originally there were said to have been 71 of these springs, but on account of improvements on the mountain, necessitating the merging of two or more springs into one, also by reason of the natural changes in the subterranean course of the water, this number has been reduced to 49. Forty-four of these are either in use or can easily be used by making some slight improvements. Five rise from the bed of the creek situated at the base of the mountain, and are consequently lost in the cold water of the stream. Besides the hot springs mentioned above, there are two cold springs in close juxtaposition on the northern slope of the mountain. In making the analyses of these waters, because of changes apt to take place in certain constituents on standing, some of the determinations were made directly on the ground within one hour after the samples had been taken. The determinations mentioned are nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide (free and as bicarbonates), nitrites, nitrates, oxygen consuming capacity, and free and albuminoid ammonia. Besides this, 10-gallon samples of each spring were shipped to Washington, D. C., where determinations of the various mineral constituents were at once begun. Each day the temperature of the spring then under analysis was taken; finally at the end of the chemist's stay at Hot Springs the temperatures were retaken in a single day, as well as the flow of each spring.