140 Analyses of Boohs. [Feb. 



His papers in the Memoirs of the Literary and Philosophical 

 Society of Manchester are the following : 1. On the Regenera- 

 tion of Animal Substances. 2. On the Natural History of the 

 Cow so far as is relative to her giving Milk, particularly for the 

 Use of Man; both in vol. i, first series. 3. Observations on a 

 Thigh-Bone of uncommon Length;, in vol. ii. 4. An Account 

 of three different Kinds of Trees which are likely to prove a great 

 Acquisition to this Kingdom, both in Point of Profit, and as 

 Trees for Ornament and Shade ; in vol. v. 



He published likewise three separate works ; namely, 1 . Cases 

 in Surgery. 2. A Treatise qn the Management of Pregnant 

 and Lying-in Women. 3. An Essay on the Gradation in Man, 

 and different Animals. 



I must here notice a remark of the author of this biographical 

 account that it may not give occasion to too hasty a generaliza- 

 tion. " The town of Manchester," he observes, " (the spring 

 water of which contains much calcareous earth) and the sur- 

 rounding country, afford very few cases of stone ; but it is 

 remarkable that those parts of Yorkshire v/here the water is most 

 free from calcareous impregnation are extremely productive of 

 this terrible disease." It might be inferred from this that pure 

 water had rather a tendency to occasion calculous diseases. But 

 it ought to be attended to that it is very seldom indeed that 

 carbonate of lime or sulphate of lime are found in calculi ; yet 

 these are the calcareous salts which exist in waters. Phosphate 

 of lime, which is the most abundant saline constituent of calculi, 

 exists in bread, and in every kind of animal food. Hence it is 

 rather the food than the water that gives a tendency to this 

 terrible disease. Glasgow was for many years very ill supplied 

 with water. Most of the wells yielded only hard water, and the 

 disease alluded to was fully as uncommon in Glasgow as about 

 Manchester. About 10 years ago two water companies were 

 established in Glasgow, and the city supplied with remarkably 

 pure water (it contains only -s-oTfot'^ P^^t of foreign bodies) from 

 the Clyde ; yet no tendency towards an increase of this disease 

 has been observed. 



IV. Remarks tending to facilitate the Analysis of Spring and 

 River Waters. By John Dalton. 



The object of this paper is to give some rules by which per- 

 sons but little conversant with chemistry may be enabled to 

 ascertain the goodness of the water with which they are supplied 

 for the purposes of domestic economy or of manufactures. It 

 contains an enumeration of the most common tests, with direc- 

 tions how to use them. Tlie object of the author is laudable ; 

 but I suspect that after all the simplification that has been intro- 

 duced into the mode of analyzing waters, still, in order to draw 

 the proper inferences from experiment, a good deal of practice 

 and considerable knowledge are requisite. Any body indeed may 

 apply a few tests, and by their means draw a few obvious infer- 



