Iron-bearing waters
Original title: Águas férreas
Describes Madeira's iron-bearing springs, chiefly the Jamboto spring in Santo António, analysed by Carlos Lepierre in 1900.
Of the various iron-bearing springs in Madeira, the best known is the Jamboto spring, in the parish (freguesia) of Santo António. Mr Carlos Lepierre, who analysed the waters of this spring on 4 June 1900, states that they belong to the group of hyposaline, chlorinated and ferruginous waters. Their most important mineral constituent, he says, is sodium chloride, followed by iron bicarbonate, which is present in a relatively large quantity (36 milligrams, corresponding to 12.6 milligrams of iron). Mr Lepierre also found bicarbonates of magnesia and lime in the same waters, with small quantities of sulphates and nitrates.
According to the same analyst, the Jamboto waters are very pure from a bacteriological point of view. The results of Mr Lepierre’s investigations appear in a pamphlet published by order of the Funchal Municipal Council (Câmara Municipal do Funchal), with the following title: Analyse Chimica e Bacteriologica da Água da Fonte Férrea-Jamboto, Santo Antonio- Funchal, Madeira . . . (Funchal, 1900).
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Time
Years mentioned · 01Place
Places mentioned · 04- Águas Férreas · Subject
Funchal
Entry on Madeira's iron-bearing springs. The chief of these is the Jamboto spring in Santo António, analysed by Carlos Lepierre in 1900.
- Funchal
Its municipal council published the analysis.
The capital of the archipelago and seat of the principal captaincy, where settlement began; it was made a vila c.1451–52. Its bay, the widest in the archipelago, lies between Ponta do Garajau and Ponta da Cruz and offers sheltered anchorage, though its harbour had never been studied oceanographically. The Elucidário discusses it as a health resort with climate data and records the January 1906 disturbances, the Danish prince's visit in May 1846 and recent volcanic cones in the area.
- Jamboto
Funchal. Site of the best-known iron spring in Madeira.
Jamboto is an inhabited locality in the parish of Santo António, Funchal, named after the early settler João Boto. It is the site of the best-known iron (chalybeate) spring in Madeira, once reputed to be therapeutic.
- Santo António
Funchal. Parish containing the Jamboto spring.
Santo António is a parish in the municipality of Funchal, Madeira, where the São João stream rises and the Jesuits had their Pico do Cardo residence. Its church bears a 1783 Latin inscription, and the parish contains the Madalena, São João e Santana and Pópulo chapels; it also gives its name to a hill of about 400 metres near its church.
People
People mentioned · 01-
Chemist who analysed the Jamboto iron spring water in 1900, finding it pure and rich in sodium chloride and iron bicarbonate.