180 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



with the question of the disposal of London sewage. The 

 Public Health Act of 1872 gave power for the formation of 

 Boards for the prevention of river pollution, and in 1876 was 

 passed the Rivers Pollution Prevention Act. Although the two 

 Commissions of 1865 and 1868 had clearly pointed out that the 

 foul and filthy condition of rivers need not continue, very little 

 was done. The Act of 1876 was rendered almost inoperative 

 owing to the great parliamentary influence wielded by the manu- 

 facturers. From 1888 onwards Joint Committees for the various 

 rivers have been formed — e.g. the Mersey and Irwell, the West 

 Riding River Board, etc. These Boards consist of representatives 

 of the sanitary authorities bordering upon the specific rivers. 

 They were entrusted with the powers of a sanitary authority 

 so far as was necessary for administering the Act of 1876. In 

 certain cases they have applied for and obtained special powers 

 from Parliament. There can be no doubt that they have done 

 much valuable work, especially when due consideration is given 

 to the fact that their efforts have been consistently opposed 

 by interested manufacturers. 



All the Royal Commissions dealing with the sewage problem 

 have recommended the establishment of a special authority 

 to deal with all questions connected with river pollution, and 

 there can be no doubt that this would be the most satisfactory 

 solution of the many difficulties which arise where the interests 

 of the manufacturers and the community are opposed. In 1898 

 another Royal Commission dealing with sewage disposal was 

 appointed, and is still at work. It has issued in the interval 

 several large, most interesting, and valuable Reports. We shall 

 have something to say in regard to these Reports later on. 



Composition of Sewage 



It is quite impossible to lay down any exact standard of the 

 chemical and bacterial quality of sewage. This must necessarily 

 depend upon the size of the community, the presence or absence 

 of trade effluents and waste products, the addition of rain- or 

 storm-waters, etc., etc. Furthermore, the sewage itself is con- 

 stantly undergoing changes due to fermentation. The chief 

 chemical characteristic of sewage is its enormous amount of 

 contained organic matter in suspension or solution. In addition 

 there are various inorganic substances. Roughly speaking, we 

 may classify the constituents of sewage thus : 



