238 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



not see their way clearly, and on another point they were in a great diffi- 

 culty. This point was as to what was to become of the drainage of the 

 large towns above their district, because it was impossible to join them 

 with London, and it was idle to seek to drain Oxford by any Literal 







drainage that could reach the sea. At the present time Kingston had 

 made arrangements to pour its sewage into the Thames, but was stopped 

 by an injunction obtained by the Conservators of the river, by wiiich 

 they had been taught that such nuisances could not be continued. The 

 question then remained, what was to be done with it? Two facts had 

 been proved. At Leicester, where the experiment had been carried on 

 regardless of expense, it was proved that the deodorizing of sewage by 

 lime would purity water and prevent it becoming a nuisance to the stream. 

 Since then it had been proved that fish flourished there, and the herbage 

 and fruit, which before were poisoned, had now returned to their normal 

 condition. This fact was also apparent, that the products which it had 

 been thought would be sufficient, to pay f >r these works had proved an 

 entire failure ; and except for the lime used, which was very useful for the 

 fertilization of land, it had proved utterly useless. Tli^ other fact was 

 the experiment at Croydon, which certainly did appear most successful. 

 There the river formerly was polluted by the sewage. A farm of 40 

 acres was then taken ; ordinary drains were cut, the sewage was turned 

 into the land before it passed into the river, thus purifying it of its offen- 

 sive ingredients, and proving of great advantage to the land." 



We find the results accomplished at Croydon stated rather more fully 

 than as above, in a recent article in the London Times. " The town au- 

 thorities being stopped by injunction from throwing their sewage in the 

 river Waddle, they leased 2-10 acres of land at 41. an acre, turned their 

 sewage upon it, and relet it for 51. an acre. Thus they make a clear 

 profit of 2-IO/. a year, and enormous crops are got off the kind, which 

 serves as a pattern card, us it were, to the surrounding farmers of the 

 value of se wage. It should, however, be particularly stated in this con- 

 nection, that Crovdon is favorably situated for the distribution of its sew- 



v ti 



age, as it stands on a hi^ht, and it can therefore be distributed by means 

 of simple gravitation. 



ON PHENIC OR CARBOLIC ACID. 



The folio wing account of phcnic, or carbolic acid, an article which 

 from its sanitary and industrial value is yearly becoming of greater 

 importance, is taken from a recently published paper of Dr. Jules 

 Lemaire of Paris. 



Phonic acid (CioHo O,HO) was discovered in 1834 by Runge, who 

 has given it the name of carbolic acid. Laurent, who studied this 

 body, and described many of its combinations, designates it under 

 the name of phonic and hydrate of phcnyle, because he objects to 

 place it anvmg the acids. Gorhardt gave it the name of phenol. It 

 has also received the names of phcnic alcohol, of spyrol, and of sali- 

 conc. [ In this country the acid is best known in trade as carbolic 

 acid.] 



It has been formed synthetically by M. Bcrtholot, by -passing alco- 

 holic or acetic acid vapors through a porcelain tube heated to redness. 

 Grerhardt has obtained it from salicylic acid by the action of lime or 

 baryta. St.edeler has found that the urine ol'mun, the horse, and cow, 



