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SOCIETY

OF PUBLIC

Analyses of English Public Water Supplies in May, 1881.

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ANALYSTS.

All results are expressed in GRAINS PER GALLON.

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Leeds
Leicester

Liverpool

May 17 yellowish brown

18 v. s. yellow

none

none

17 greenish yellow

Llandrindod

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trace
1.25 trace
peaty 1.08 traces
1.20 none

.74

none

0140 1344

140 0020 0033
077 0028 0042
·086 none none

0030 0750

3.6° 3.0° 5.04 7.30° 4.4° 14.66

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Maidstone

Wtr. Company

Public Conduit

18

clear

none

2.30 trace

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Newcastle-on

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f. yellow

none

Nottingham

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p. c. blue

none

Northampton..

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Norwich

12 s. greenish yelw.

none

1.90

traces

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1.707 none none 0028 0305 17.5°
.611 none 0007 0028 0274 17.5°
none 0029 0042 0108 0602 1.70
050 00090043 none ·0455 16.1°
.88 trace 048 00100080 0050 0880 15.1°
1.78 traces 1.295 0006 0058 none ⚫0074 18.0°
5.50 traces .611 none 0014 0007 0160 13.2°
547 traces 0044 0280
019 0078 0025 0008
0021 none
0005 0045 0030
0020 .0030 0016 0300 3.6°
0105 0070 0123 0313 11.0° 5.5° 17.50 veg. deb. diatms. bacteria
0028 0035 0140 0190 2.5° 2.0° 5.00
0056 none ·0630 4.8° 4.8° 4.97
0015, none none 22.8° 3.7° 25.00
4.5° 19.90

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0060

4.0°

3.6° 5.06

satisfactory

14.7°

3.7° 20-40

vegetable deb. decayed

0350 14.4°

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Sunderland.

16

c. colourless

none

2:00

trace

•280

Swansea

16

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s. turbid

none

1.00

trace

none

Warwick

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Whitehaven

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Wolverhampton

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1.33

h. traces

Worcester

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3.10

traces

0060 4.8°
0932 21.0°
none 0035 0018 0692 14.0°
0023 0030 0020 none
0007 0056 0030 0040
.700 0007 0035 0140 0410
⚫012 none ⚫0007 none .0125
.121 none 0063 0013 0680 12.6°
.075 none 0049 0031 1532 11.30

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9.6°

3.7° 25.00

3.0°

2.5° 4.27

19.2°

11.0° 23.80

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10.2° 24 80 fibrs. veg. deb. diams. hair Wigner & Harland.

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Abbreviations:-c., clear; f., faint; h., heavy; p., pale; v. h., very heavy; v. s., very slight.
ERRATA.-In the March Table the Nitrates in the CHELSEA water should have been 1400 instead of 5300.
In the April Table the Oxygen of the BIRMINGHAM water absorbed in 4 hours should have been 035 instead of 305.
In the April Table the Hardness before boiling in the CAMBRIDGE water should have been 19.0° instead of 2°.

SALE OF FOOD ACT IN SCOTLAND.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE ANALYST."

SIR,-I fear the working of the "Act" will not be of much advantage, in some places, at least, until a clause is introduced making it compulsory on all Burghs, &c., who appoint an Analyst, to take a certain number of samples every year, the number to be in proportion to the population. A short time ago I addressed a letter to the Town Clerks of several towns for which I am Analyst, directing attention to the fact that nothing whatever had been done in the way of carrying out the Act. These letters have been read at the Meetings of Councils, and the discussions which ensued seem to me to point to the conclusion that the worthy councillors, from the provosts downwards, have the most hazy ideas of the meaning or intentions of the "Food, Drink and Drugs Act," which they some years ago adopted-I presume unanimously. The newspaper reports of two of these meetings which I herewith send you, will prove entertaining. "The provost suggested that it was more for private individuals than the Town Council to send samples, and thought the clerk should write to me to the effect that the public were quite satisfied with the article supplied to them." Happy public! but of course "Where ignorance is bliss," &c. There is a certain grim humour in the worthy provost's remarks when taken in connection with the fact that a number of milks sent to me by a neighbouring burgh, were found in the majority of cases to be pretty freely watered. A member of the council " thought the inspector might be allowed to act without instructions," but a no doubt intelligent bailie said "the only time the officer could act was when he got a case." Perhaps the most amusing oration, however, was given by another councillor, who "thought the Analyst should employ some one here to take samples for him. They had been paying for this gentlemen for a considerable time, and had never got a single article from him. It was a consideration whether things should continue in this way or not." Verily here is indeed a second Daniel come to judgment. Seriously speaking, however, is it not a pity that any burgh authority should display so little understanding of the meaning of the "Act" or the duties of the Analyst? It seems to be but another instance of the popular idea that the Public Analyst is a species of roaring lion going about seeking whom he may devour, instead of a comparatively inoffensive individual who only does what he is asked, and is by no means too well remunerated for doing that.

I am, &c.,

A COUNTY ANALYST.

WATER ANALYSIS.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE ANALYST."

SIR,-As Medical Officer for a large combined urban and rural sanitary district, I have had to analyse a great number of waters during the past eight years. Hence I have had ample opportunity of becoming thoroughly acquainted with the character of the waters from the various localities in my district. Knowing thus their normal constitution and the local circumstances attending each case, I have unusual facilities for judging of the purity or otherwise of the samples submitted to me, and have therefore the advantage over any chemist who may have to form an opinion from arbitrary standards alone. I recently had occasion to analyse a certain well water from Newark-on-Trent several times, the results of my last analysis being given in the subjoined table-No. I. The analysis affording what I considered ample and conclusive evidence of sewage pollution, I reported to the sanitary authority that the water was unfit for drinking, and advised that the well should be closed.

On the refusal of the owners to comply with their request, the authority applied to the magistrates for an order to close it, under sec. 70, Public Health Act, 1875.

At an adjourned hearing of the case, a written report on the water by Dr. Charles Graham, of University College, was handed in by the defendants (see table No. II), in which he stated that the water was pure for dietetic purposes. On account of this conflict of opinion, the magistrates dismissed the

summons.

Being convinced that my analysis and the conclusions I had drawn from it were correct, I forwarded a sample to Mr. Hehner, without giving him any information of the attending circumstances, and he reported that it was highly polluted, and unfit for drinking.

The sanitary authority thereupon applied again for a summons. Meanwhile, before the hearing of the fresh case, I personally delivered samples of the water to Dr. Dupré, and to Mr. Hehner, and again analysed a sample myself. They both condemned it as being polluted with sewage, and unfit for drinking (see tables Nos. III. and IV.).

When the case came on, Dr. Dupré was detained in London, but Mr. Hehner and I gave evidence, Dr. Graham's report being again handed in.

The magistrates were still not satisfied, so ordered a sample to be sent to an "independent analyst," selected by themselves.

Then appeared in a local paper, a letter to the defendants from Dr. Graham, in which he says "From the small amount of free and albuminoid ammonia, the small quantity of nitric acid, the absence of charring or blackening or ignition of the solids, the slight quantity of oxygen needed to burn the organic matter, even when kept at 100° F. for three hours, I am of opinion that the water is free from sewage infiltration. I am still of opinion that there are no grounds, from chemical data, to warrant anyone in condemning the water. Chemical examination does not justify the statement that the water has been polluted by sewage. It is indeed very free from organic impurities."

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The magistrates sent the water to Dr. Frankland, and he subsequently reported that it consisted chiefly of the soakage from drains or cesspools, and was a very dangerous water, and quite unfit for dietetio use, also strongly urging the immediate closing of the well.

The magistrates then ordered that the well should be closed within a month.

Disagreements may be expected, no matter what method of analysis be employed, in the case of waters neither decidedly pure nor plainly bad; but in extreme cases of impurity, differences of opinion do not appear to be justifiable in the present state of chemical knowledge. Nothing lowers the profession of chemists in the eyes of the unscientific public so much as unaccountable and unseemly differences, when brought to light in a court of law.

Seeing that the concensus of opinion expressed by the other chemists consulted is so marked, may I venture to ask the learned Professor to reconsider the decision he has given with reference to the water in question.

I append the analytical data, and extracts from the reports alluded to above.

The results are expressed in parts per 100,000-grains per gallon, as given in two of the reports having been calculated up to this quantity.

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The following are extracts from the reports :I. ASHBY. The water is polluted with nitrogenous and carbonaceous organic matters. quantities of Cl., N2O, and P2O5 found in it indicate that the impurities are of sewage origin. It is very impure and dangerous to health, and is quite unfit for dietetic purposes.

II. GRAHAM. The amount of organic matter as indicated by the O used is low. The saline and albuminoid ammonia are equally satisfactory. The water is pure for dietetic purposes. It contains too much solid matter to be a high class water, but in other respects is satisfactory.

III. HEHNER. It is very highly polluted with sewage. It is not only absolutely unfit for drinking and other domestic purposes, but its use would be fraught with considerable danger to the consumers. I would urgently advise the closing of the well.

IV. DUPRE. It is very largely polluted by sewage or surface drainage, as shown by the very high proportion of N205, Cl., and P2O, found, the excessive amount of albuminoid ammonia yielded, the rather large amount of O absorbed, and other points. The water is utterly unfit for drinking.

V. FRANKLAND. It consists chiefly of soakage from drains or cesspools, and contains a very large proportion of organic matter of animal origin. It is a very dangerous water, and quite unfit for dietetic use. The well from which it was drawn should be closed without delay. The question being one of extreme importance to all professional chemists and medical officers of health, must be my apology for the length of this communication, to which, together with any discussion that may arise from it, I hope you will, on the same count, kindly consent to give a place in your valuable paper.

GRANTHAM, May 20th, 1881.

I am, yours obediently,

ALFRED ASHBY.

Whisky Adulteration :

LAW REPORTS.

Mr. Thomas George Mumford, proprietor of the Union" Tavern, Mint Street, Borough, was summoned before Mr. Slade by Mr. Edwards, the officer appointed by the Vestry of Saint George, Southwark, for selling to the prejudice of the purchaser an article of food, viz., whisky, which was not of the nature, substance, and quality demanded by such purchaser, it being reduced spirits more than 25 degrees under proof. Mr. Slade observed that publicans were allowed to reduce spirits to the extent of 25 degrees, but 37 seemed rather too much. He asked Mr. Edwards if it was adulterated with anything worse than water. Mr. Edwards replied in the negative. The certificate stated "Not injurious to health." The defendant said, in answer to the charge, that he had only recently taken the business, and he was not aware that the whisky had been reduced to that extent. He was only in a small way of business. Mr. Slade fined him 10s., and 12s. 6d. costs.

Refusing to Serve, and Assault :

At Hammersmith, on Saturday, Allen Mannering, of Crofton Terrace, Hammersmith, appeared to answer two summonses, one for refusing to sell a pound of butter to Henry Oatley, an inspector appointed under the Sale of Food Act, and the other for assaulting him in the execution of his duty. Mr. Jones, clerk to the Fulham District Board of Works, handed to the magistrate a certificate of the analyst, stating that the butter contained 80 per cent. of foreign fat other than butter. After hearing the evidence, which showed that the defendant was not the owner of the shop, Mr. Paget dismissed the summons for refusing to sell the butter, as he thought the purchase was complete. He, however, fined the defendant £5 for the assault.

Mr. J. H. Cornall, M.R.C.S., has been appointed Public Analyst for the Borough of Warrington.

RECENT CHEMICAL PATENTS.

The following specifications have been recently published, and can be obtained from the Great Seal Office, Cursitor Street, Chancery Lane, London.

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The Chemist and Druggist; The Brewers' Guardian; The British Medical Journal; The Medical Press; The Pharmaceutical Journal; The Sanitary Record; The Miller; Journal of Applied Science; The Boston Journal of Chemistry; The Provisioner; The Practitioner; New Remedies; Proceedings of the American Chemical Society; Le Practicien; The Inventors' Record; New York Public Health; The Scientific American; Society of Arts Journal; Sanitary Engineer of New York; The Cowkeeper and Dairyman's Journal; The Chemists' Journal; Oil and Drug News; The Textile Record of America; Sugar Cane; Country Brewers' Gazette; Smithsonian Report, 1879.

THE ANALYST.

JULY, 1881.

111

SOCIETY OF PUBLIC ANALYSTS.

AN ORDINARY MEETING of this Society was held on the 1st June, at Burlington House, the President, Mr. Heisch, in the chair.

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.

Mr. Bernard Dyer and Mr. Hobbs were appointed scrutineers, and having opened the voting papers, they reported that the following had been elected as members:-E. G. Love, Ph.D., Analytical Chemist, New York; H. Leffmann, M.D., Analytical Chemist, Philadelphia.

Mr. C. M. Blades was proposed as a member, and will be ballotted for at the Country Meeting.

Mr. Wigner read a paper on "The Valuation of the Relative Impurities in Potable Water," and a long discussion ensued.

A Special Meeting of the Society was held at Burlington House on the 27th June. A Report of the Papers then read will appear in our next Number.

ON THE VALUATION OF THE RELATIVE IMPURITIES IN POTABLE

WATERS.

By G. W. WIGNER, F.C.S., F.I.C.

Read before the Society of Public Analysts, on 1st June, 1880.

ABOUT three years ago I submitted to the Society a scheme for the systematic valuation of the impurities found in potable waters, based upon the plan of giving a value to every constituent found in a water. This scheme was discussed at the time, and some suggestions then made were adopted and have rendered it more generally applicable. During three years the scheme has been tried by many analysts, and it is in consequence possible to discuss it with greater advantage.

Some six months ago the Water Committee of the Society very carefully considered the scale, and after a slight alteration of two or three items, it was decided to give it a temporary trial on the analyses of public water supplies made by the members of the Society for publication in THE ANALYST, and to bring the subject forward for discussion at this meeting.

In considering the details, one result of the alterations from the original scale must be borne in mind. Certain values have been altered, and consequently the value of 85 which I proposed as the limit of a first-class water may be no longer tenable, and I shall

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