No. 2.] EDWARDS — WATER ANALYSIS. 87 



RESUME ON WATER ANALYSIS: NEW METHODS 



AND RECENT RESULTS. 



By J. Baker Edwards, Ph.D., F. C. S. 

 Public Analyst, Montreal. 



Considering the many discrepancies of water analysis, the 

 ■Society of Public Analysts of Great Britain have done good ser- 

 vice to social science by co-operating with Mr. G. W. Wigner, 

 one of its Secretaries ;tnd one of the editors of its organ " The 

 Analyst," in discussing during the present year : 



1. The Methods of Water Analysis. 



2. Mode of Statement of Results. 



3. Their Comparative Valuation. 



Moreover, by the publication of monthly analyses of the " Public 

 Water Supplies of Great Britain," they have conferred a benefit 

 on the public, Mr. Wigner has long been a laborious " Water 

 Analyst," and from his great experience on " Sea Side Waters," 

 his opinion is entitled to considerable weight. As a result of 

 his labours a Committee has been appointed by the Society of 

 Public Analysts, which has drawn up and published a code of 

 " Instructions fo.r Water Analysis," in order to enable Analysts 

 generally to co-operate, by adopting an uniform method of an- 

 alysis and of the mode in which results shall be stated. It has 

 still under consideration the mode of valuation of the relative 

 impurities in potable waters submitted to the Society by Mr. 

 Wigner in June last, which has subsequently been very generally 

 approved. Comparative results having been thus rendered j^os- 

 sible, a large number of English chemists have accepted the task 

 of monthly water analysis in various districts, and these have 

 been grouped together by Mr. Wigner .in the recent September 

 and October Nos. of " The Analyst," showing the average values 

 of the impurities from January to June of the present year, and 

 the valuations for July, August and September, severally, of G5 

 different water supplies in Great Britain, representing an enor- 

 mous amount of exaet and laborious work, whicli is much en- 

 hanced in value by this mode of bringing into comparative 



