for many years highly popular, and indeed almost the only one in use by American mineralogists. A second edition appeared in 1822. Ten years afterward Prof. Charles U. Shepard of New Haven published the first part of his “Treatise on Mineralogy,” and in 1835 the second part. He adopted the arrangement of Mohs with little variation, making the natural history or external characters as far as possible the means of determining the species. He however appended a table in which the minerals were also arranged according to their chemical affinities. Francis Alger of Boston republished the then recent “Treatise on Mineralogy” prepared by Robert Allan from Phillips's “Mineralogy,” enlarging it by numerous notices of American minerals and of recent discoveries. Like the last named work, it was particularly interesting for presenting many new facts in the development of the mineralogy of the United States. Prof. James D. Dana of New Haven commenced in 1837 the publication of his treatises upon mineralogy by the issue of the first edition of “A System of Mineralogy, including an extended Treatise upon Crystallography.” Five editions of this work have been published. In those of 1837 and 1844 the natural history system of Mohs was extended and solidified, but in the third edition this was abandoned, and the author presented his work with a classification that claimed no inherent virtue but convenience. He however suggested a combination of the chemical and crystallographic methods, which in 1854 was embodied with alterations in a fourth edition. During the 17 years covered by this work the views of the English school of chemists were steadily gaining ground, and when the fifth edition appeared in 1868 the “new chemistry” with its rational symbols and its new tenets had been established, and was used by the side of the old method in this work. The system employed is explained in the foregoing part of this article. No attempt is made to afford students a tabular arrangement by which the name of given specimens can be ascertained. The book bears to minerals a relation similar to that which a dictionary bears to words; it gives accurate definitions of them on a systematic plan. Great care has been taken with these definitions, and in fact Prof. Dana's method does not commence with the system, but with the species. When all the facts of composition, crystal form, and physical characters of a species are known, it can readily be placed with those of a similar kind, and minerals which resemble each other in these things necessarily form a group. Partial differences give rise to sub-groups, and resemblances between entire groups cause the formation of divisions. The system is therefore strictly rational. In other respects Dana's fifth edition is a great advance upon any previous publication in this branch of science. He has adopted fixed rules for nomenclature and orthography, collated almost every work for synonymes, which are arranged in chronological order, and performed much similar work in a way that seems to leave nothing to be desired.
MINERAL POINT, a city and the capital of Iowa co., Wisconsin, on a branch of the Pecatonica river, 47 m. W. S. W. of Madison and at the terminus of the Mineral Point railroad (33 m. long), connecting it with the Illinois Central railroad at Warren, Ill.; pop. in 1870, 3,275. It is in the midst of a rich mineral region, yielding lead, copper, and zinc, and contains several hotels, numerous stores, founderies, smelting works for lead and zinc, and breweries. There are eight public schools, including a high school, three private schools, two weekly newspapers, and five churches.
MINERAL SPRINGS, those which are impregnated with minerals to such a degree as to possess medicinal properties. They differ from ordinary springs by the larger volume of gases, especially carbonic acid gas, the mineral ingredients held in solution in their waters, and the peculiar smell, taste, and sometimes color imparted by the solution; many of them also by a higher temperature, called thermal springs (75° to 212° F.). Some issue from the earth like fountains, foaming and steaming; others with a continuous or intermitting noise, gurgling and hissing. Like ordinary springs, they are found at every altitude and in all climates. Some break at boiling heat through a crust of ice and snow, and some issue with almost icy coldness from among luxuriant vegetation. Many sulphur springs destroy all vegetation around them; others (calcareous) cover organic structures with incrustations. The waters of mineral springs are used both for drinking and bathing; their vapors for baths; and their spray, with the evolved gases, for inhaling. The ancients ascribed supernatural properties to mineral springs, and their priests, especially those of Æsculapius, placed their sanctuaries near them, as at the alkaline springs of Nauplia and the gas springs of Dodona. Such places were provided not only with baths, hospitals, and medical schools, but also with theatres and other resorts for amusement, and were designed both for worship and for the cure of the sick. According to Strabo, the springs of Hierapolis imparted a red color to the roots of trees and shrubs, and the juices of the latter mixed with the water produced a purple dye. Philostratus says that the Greek soldiers wounded in the battle on the Caicus were healed by the waters of Agamemnon's spring near Smyrna. The pythoness was thought to be inspired by bathing in the Castalian spring and inhaling the vapors of the steaming cave at Delphi. Josephus relates that Herod sought relief from his terrible disease in the thermal springs of Callirrhoë. The springs of Tiberias, which have a temperature of from 86° to 130° F., were used by the Romans, and are still frequented by patients from all parts of Asia Minor. The most celebrated bathing place of the Roman empire was the hot sulphur springs
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