396 Progress in Sctence. (July, 
An elaborate paper on the crystallisation of Galena, by Dr. A. Sadebeck, of 
Berlin, has been published in the “ Zeitschrift’ of the German Geological 
Society, where it is illustrated by three plates showing peculiar forms of this 
mineral. 7 
Prof. Maskelyne, in a letter to Vom Rath, has announced the isomorphism 
of Asmanite, or orthorhombic silica, with Brookite, or oxide of titanium. 
Some fine specimens of the American variety of Brookite (Arkansite) have 
recently reached this country ; and we have also seen some splendid examples - 
of plumbago, exhibiting in some cases a fibrous structure, brought over from 
Buckingham, in Canada, where it is now worked on a considerable scale. 
ENGINEERING—CIVIL AND MECHANICAL. 
Sanitation.—There are hardly two more important branches of engineering 
than sewerage and water supply, and these subjects have recently become 
prominent matters of interest by the introduction into Parliament of the 
Public Health Bill and the Rivers’ Pollution B.ll, two measures of the first 
importance, and largely called for in the interests of our town populations. 
It is not our intention to enter into any detailed examination here of the 
several clauses of these Bills, but we may do so upon another occasion. 
Everywhere the local authonties who have not already purified their sewage, 
are anxiously inquiring as to the best methods to be employed for that 
purpose ; no scheme, however, yet invented has been found applicable under 
all the varying conditions that present themselves in different places, but 
amongst the numerous schemes that have already been put into pradétice, it 
may fairly be premised that one or other of them might be adopted—certainly 
with beneficial results, if not with absolute success—under all known circum- 
stances. Where land is available, no doubt irrigation is an effeCtive method 
of purifying the effluent water, but experience seems to teach us that in all 
cases some system of precipitation should be first adopted. The principal 
methods introduced for this ‘purpose have been, on several occasions, 
described in the ‘‘ Quarterly Journal of Science,” so that it is not necessary 
to refer again to them now. A paper recently read by Mr. Charles E. Jones 
before the Chesterfield and Derbyshire Institute of Engineers, ably dealt with 
the subje& of ‘‘Sewage; its Use and Abuse,” and in the discussion that 
followed some particulars were given as to the value of excreta in Flanders, 
Belgium, and Bruges. In the latter place Mr. Chadwick stated that a system 
of employing servants existed whereby they were to receive a certain small 
money payment “ and the night soil,” and he further quoted s'atistics to show 
that the system of abolishing privies in England, and draining them into the 
sewers, has been followed by an enormous and alarming increase in the rate 
of mortality. The gist of Mr. Jones’s paper was that the rainfall should go 
to the river, and the sewage to the soil, a distribution beyond doubt perfectly 
correé@ in theory, but hardly capable of being carried out except in com- 
paratively small towns. 
A paper on ‘‘ Northampton and its Sewage” has also been recently read 
before the Association of Municipal and Sanitary Engineers, by Mr. J. H. 
Pidcock. Here the sewage was originally emptied into the river, but injunc- 
tions having been granted against polluting the river, notwithstanding the 
precipitation processes adopted there, it has been found necessary to purchase 
a sewage farm in order further to purify the effluent water before turning it 
into the Nene, thus bearing out what we have before remarked, that the soil 
must be depended upon to finish the purification of the sewage after the 
adoption of mechanical and chemical processes for extracting the solid 
matters contained in it. 
In conne@ion also with the general question of sanitation, we may also 
notice a paper read before the Institution of Civil Engineers on “ The Systems 
of Constant and Intermittent Water Supply, and the Prevention of Waste,” 
by Mr. G. F. Deacon. ‘his paper had special reference to the restoration of 
constant service in Liverpool, and in it was explained the precautions taken 
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