a town of Germany, in the circle of Westphalia and bishopric of Liege, famous for its mineral waters, lies in E. Long. 5° 50' N. Lat. 50° 30' about 21 miles south-east from Liege, and 7 south-west from Lomburg. It is situated at one end of a deep valley on the banks of a small rivulet, and is surrounded on all sides by high mountains. The sides of these mountains next to Spa are rude and uncultivated, presenting a rugged appearance as if shattered by the convulsions of earthquakes; but as they are strewed with tall oaks and abundance of shrubs, the country around forms a wild, romantic, and beautiful landscape. The access to the town is very beautiful. The road winds over the mountains till it descends to their bottom, when it runs along a smooth valley for a mile or a mile and a half.

The town consists of four streets in form of a cross, and contains about 400 inhabitants. Spa has no wealth to boast of. It can scarcely furnish the necessaries of life to its own inhabitants during the winter, and almost all the luxuries which are requisite for the great concourse of affluent visitors during the summer are carried from Liege by women. Its only source of wealth is its mineral waters. No sooner does the warm season commence, than crowds of valetudinarians arrive, as well as many other persons who are attracted solely by the love of amusement, and some from less honourable motives. The inhabitants, who spend seven or eight months of the year without seeing the face of a stranger, wait for the return of this period with impatience. The welcome sound of the carriages brings multitudes from the town, either to gratify their curiosity, or to offer their services in the hopes of securing your employment while you remain at Spa. Immediately after your arrival your name and designation is added to the printed list of the annual visitors; for which you pay a fixed sum to the bookseller, who has a patent for this purpose from the prince bishop of Liege. This list not only enables one to know at a glance whether any friends or acquaintance are residing there, but also to distinguish persons of rank and fashion from adventurers, who seldom have the effrontery to insert their names.

There are two different ways of accommodating the visitors at Spa with lodging and necessaries. People may either lodge at an hotel, where every thing is furnished them in a splendid and expensive style; or they may take up their residence in private lodgings, from which they may fend for provisions to a cook's shop.

Among the people who visit Spa, there are many persons of the first rank and fashion in Europe. Perhaps indeed there is no place in Europe to which so many kings and princes resort; but it is also visited by many self-created nobility, who, under the titles of counts, barons, marquises, and knights, contrive by their addresses and artifices, to prey upon the rich and inexperienced.

The manners established at Spa are conducive both to health and amusement. Every body rises early in the morning, at six o'clock or before it, when a great many horses stand ready saddled for those who choose to drink the Sauveniere or Geronfriere waters at a little distance from Spa. After this healthy exercise a part of the company generally breakfast together at Vauxhall, a magnificent and spacious building. At this place a number of card-tables are opened every forenoon, round which many persons assemble and play for stakes to a very considerable amount. A ball too is generally held once a week at Vauxhall, besides two balls at the assembly rooms near the Pouchon in the middle of the town.

The most remarkable waters at Spa are, 1. The Pouchon, situated in the middle of the town; 2. The Sauveniere, a mile and a half east from it; 3. Groifbeck, near to the Sauveniere; 4. Tonnelet, situated a little to the left of the road which leads to the Sauveniere; 5. Geronfriere, two miles south from Spa; 6. Wartroz, near to the Tonnelet; 7. Sarts or Nivest, in the district of Sarts; 8. Chevron or Bru, in the principality of Slavclot; 9. Couve; 10. Beverse; 11. Sige; 12. Geremont. These four last are near Malmedy.

Dr Brownrigg was the first person who discovered that fixed air, or, as it is now generally called, carbonic acid gas, forms a principal ingredient in the composition of the Spa waters, and actually separated a quantity of this elastic fluid, by exposing it to different degrees of heat from 110° to 170° of Fahrenheit. From 20 ounces 7 drams and 14 grains apothecaries weight of the Pouchon water, he obtained 8 ounces 2 drams and 50 grains. Since June 1765, when Dr Brownrigg read a paper on this subject before the Royal Society of London, the waters of Spa have been often analysed, but perhaps by none with more accuracy than by Dr Ash, who published a book on the chemical and medicinal properties of these waters in 1788. We shall present his analysis of the five principal springs in the following table:

| Fountains | Quantity of Water | Ounces | Ounces of Gas | Solid contents | Aerated Lime | Aerated Magnesia | Aerated Mineral Alkali | Aerated Iron | Aerated Selenite | Aerated Vegetab. Alkali | |-----------|------------------|--------|---------------|---------------|--------------|-----------------|-------------------------|-------------|----------------|---------------------| | Pouchon | 33 | 35.75 | 16.25 | 2.75 | 9.50 | 2.25 | 1.75 | 1 | 0.75 | 0.50 | | Geronfriere | 32.75 | 24.75 | 5.50 | 2.50 | 1.75 | 0.75 | 0.50 | 1 | | | | Sauveniere | 32.50 | 33.50 | 3.75 | 1.50 | 0.75 | 0.50 | | | | | | Groifbeck | 32.25 | 35.50 | 5.25 | 1.50 | 1.00 | 0.75 | | | | | | Tonnelet | 32. | 40.75 | 2.00 | 0.25 | 0.75 | 1.00 | | | | |

The The Pouhon spring rises from the hill to the north of Spa, which consists of argillaceous schistus and ferruginous slate. The other fountains rise from the surrounding hills to the south-east, south-west, and north-west of the town; and this ridge of mountains is formed of calcareous earths mixed with siliceous substances. The surface of the mountains is covered with woods, interspersed with large boggy swamps filled with mud and water. The Pouhon is considered as the principal spring at Spa, being impregnated with a greater quantity of iron than any of the rest, and containing more fixed air than any except the Tonnelet. It is from this spring that the Spa water for exportation is bottled; for which the demand is so great, that, according to the best information which Mr Thickneffe could obtain, the quantity exported amounts to 200,000 or 250,000 bottles annually. This exported water is inferior in its virtue to that which is drunk on the spot; for the vessels into which it is collected are injudiciously exposed to the sun, rain, wind, and dust, for several hours before they are corked, by which means a considerable part of its volatile ingredients must be evaporated; for it has been found by experiment, that by exposing it to a gentle heat, air-bubbles ascend in great numbers. It is in its greatest perfection when collected in cold dry weather; it is then pellucid, colourless, and without smell, and almost as light as distilled water. It varies in its heat from $52^\circ$ or $53^\circ$ to $67^\circ$ of Fahrenheit's thermometer.

The Geronfertre is a much weaker chalybeate water than the Pouhon; and as it is exceedingly nauseous, and tastes and smells like rotten eggs, it certainly contains some hepatic gas. This is a circumstance which Dr Ath seems not to have attended to sufficiently. The Sauviniere water also, when newly taken from the well, smells a little of sulphur. The Groifbeck contains more alkali, and almost as much gas as the Pouhon, and has been celebrated for its good effects in the case of calculous concretions. The Tonnelet contains more gas than any of the rest. So small is the quantity of any fossil body held in suspension by the aerial acid in it, and so volatile is the gas, that it begins to pass off very rapidly the moment it is taken out of the well, and in a short time is entirely gone. Dr Ath informs us, that in the neighbourhood of this well, the cellars, on any approaching change of weather, are found to contain much fixed air; and the best prognostic which they have of rain is the aversion which cats show to be carried into these cellars.

The Spa waters are diuretic, and sometimes purgative. They exhilarate the spirits with an influence much more benign than wine or spirituous liquors, and they are more cooling, and allay thirst more effectually than common water. They are found beneficial in cases of weaknesses and relaxation, either partial or universal; in nervous disorders; in obstructions of the liver and spleen; in cases where the blood is too thin and putrefied; in cases of excessive discharges proceeding from weaknesses; in gravel and stone; and in most cases where a strengthening remedy is wanted. But they are hurtful in confirmed obstructions attended with fever, where there is no free outlet to the matter, as in ulcerations of the lungs. They are also injurious to bilious and plethoric constitutions, when used before the body is cooled by proper evacuations.

**SPACE.** See Metaphysics, Part II. Chap. iv. Space, in geometry, denotes the area of any figure, or that which fills the interval or distance between the lines that terminate it.

**SPADIX,** in botany, anciently signified the receptacle of the palms. It is now used to express every flower-stalk that is protruded out of a spathe or sheath.

The spadix of the palms is branched; that of all other plants simple. This last case admits of some variety: in calla, cracantium, and pothos, the florets cover it on all sides; in arum, they are disposed on the lower part only; and in zofera on one side.

**SPAGIRIC ART,** a name given by authors to that species of chemistry which works on metals, and is employed in the search of the philosopher's stone.

**SPAHIS,** horsemen in the Ottoman army, chiefly raised in Asia. The great strength of the grand seraglio's army consists in the janizaries, who are the foot; and the spahis, who are the horse.

**SPAIN,** a country of Europe, famous both in ancient and modern history, situated in that large peninsula which forms the south-western part of Europe. It is bounded on the south and east by the Mediterranean sea and straits of Gibraltar, on the north and west by the Bay of Biscay and Atlantic Ocean, on the south-west by Portugal, and on the north-east by the Pyrenees.

The most ancient name of Spain was Iberia, supposed different by some to be derived from the Iberians, a people inhabiting Mount Caucalus, a colony of whom settled in Spain. Others derive it from the Phoenician word Ebra or Ibra, signifying a passage or limit. By the Romans it was called Hispania or Hispantia, from the Phoenician name Sphaniya; and this again from Sphaban, a Phoenician word signifying a rabbit, because the western part of Spain abounded with those animals.