No. 2.] CHEMISTRY. 12T 



the occurreDce of uncommon species in particular localities will 

 contribute much to the common knowledge of the flora of the 

 district, and add greatly to the pleasure and profit of excursions 

 and rambles in the neighbourhood of Montreal. J. B. 



CHEMISTRY. 



Waters of Prince Edward Island. — In Dr. Dawson's 

 Report on the Geological Structure and Mineral Resources of 

 Prince Edward Island, published in 1871, attention was called 

 to the deficient supply of water to Charlottetowu, and suggestions 

 offered with regard to obtaining a supply by means of boring. 

 The question is one of much importance and has been too long 

 neglected, for much of the water at present used there is totally 

 unfit for drinking purposes. The ' American Chemist ' for May^ 

 1873. contains the following note by S. D. Hayes, of Boston : 



" There is probably no city of ten thousand inhabitants oq 

 this continent, that is suffering more for want of pure water than 

 Charlottetown, the capital of Prince Edward Island. The 

 public and private wells of this city are unfit for use from the 

 presence in them of animal matters in uncommonly large propor- 

 tions, and they undoubtedly constitute the primary cause for 

 some of the diseases prevailing among the people there. The 

 inhabitants of this city are literally dependent upon a water cart 

 or two and a spring just outside of the city limits for every drop 

 of water fit to use for cookintj or drink; and this water, which is 

 itself not by any means of the best, is sold from the carts for 

 nearly one cent per gallon. For more than two years the City 

 Council have had this matter under consideration, and the first 

 complete analyses of their waters were made in November, the 

 sources of the different specimens being unknown at the time. 

 In recording only partial results of these analyses, it should be 

 understood that the constituents called organic matter, consist of 

 the volatile matters after correction and deduction of carbonio 

 and nitric acids, water of composition, etc., belonging to the 

 mineral and saline constituents determined by full analyses. 



One United States gallon (231 cubic inches) of these waters 

 contained in grains : 



r • /^ • Total rceight 



Source of, c<Ue,. analysed. ^"^^Sle"' ^-S"" ,,.?£,. 



City pump well 50.61 5:95 56.56 



Park spring 5.05 3.17 8.22 



Winter river, six miles from the citv. 4.21 2.46 6.67 



