17 kilometres from Nimes, a fresh water spring in a small village called Vergèze drew Romans in search of refreshment. This renowned spring continued to flow after the French Revolution on land which then belonged to Alphonse Granier. By the 19th century, it had been baptised "Bouillens", because of the way it spurted out like boiling water, due to its' natural carbon gas content. The water, whose source lies in limestone hills, has a strong trace of a carbon gas current of volcanic origin. In year IX of the Republic, citizen Dax, a doctor from Sommières, wrote the first thesis on Bouillens water and its' therapeutic properties. Professor Courcière proved that the gas it contained was natural carbon gas. .
