No. XXXVI.B.] APPENDIX. 395 



At the outfall of the town, if of any magnitude, a river of sewage 

 exists, carrying down stones, brickbats, bottles, sticks, and other solid 

 rubbish. As may be expected, the stench is equal to the increased volume 

 of the sewage. About thirty gallons per day may be reckoned roughly for 

 every inhabitant of a town, and at Croydon the magnitude of the sewage 

 river is sufficient to work a turbine wheel, a form of hydraulic apparatus 

 used in France, but very seldom in this country. Of the few employed, it 

 may be mentioned that one is used for the manufacture of the paper used 

 for the Bank of England notes. The amount of sewage yielded by a 

 town may be understood when it is stated that the sewage of Croydon for 

 one day would cover an acre 15 feet deep, and for the year 5475 feet deep. 



The sewage river exhaling its pestiferous gases ought to be protected 

 in any well-devised scheme ; but it is a curious fact that the moment sew- 

 age is removed from a town it appears to cease to be an object of thought 

 and attention to the authorities of the town. 



The usual practice is, for the councillors of a town to carry their 

 sewage to the boundary of the land under their control, and then pass it 

 to the land in the district of their neighbours, when economy and not 

 efficiency guides their actions. 



In any part of a medical social science scheme for dealing with 

 sewage, every district should dispose of its own sewage ; thus Croydon 

 should not purify itself by poisoning Beddington, nor Enfield by poison- 

 ing Edmonton. 



As an example of the utter recklessness of the council of a town to 

 the inhabitants of another district, it was alleged, upon many strong 

 affidavits, that Croydon had so purified its water that it was fit to enter 

 the Wandle for the inhabitants of the next parish to drink ! I mildly 

 replied, upon affidavit, " that I was not aware of any process which could 

 turn sewage into a good potable water." The Croydoii irrigators adhered 

 to their statement, and were not a little surprised and disconcerted when 

 I rejoined that their statement disposed of all difficulties, for they had only 

 continuously to pump back the transformed sewage into their own water 

 tanks when the law proceedings would be terminated, a test of the perfec- 

 tion of their process which Croydon never for one moment contemplated. 



As a fundamental principle of a medical social treatment of sewage, 

 one person ought not to be relieved at the expense of a second. 



The river of sewage freed from large matters is next conducted by 

 various channels to the land, as, theoretically, earth is capable of assimi- 

 lating to itself the manurial particles, and of separating the water. 



Now comes into play the overwhelming difficulties which are afforded 

 by the small quantity of solid sewage which exists in proportion to the 

 enormous quantity of water. 



About a quarter of a century ago a company was formed by an enthu- 

 siastic sewage irrigator, and a pumping engine was erected at Fulham. 

 Within a mile of the pumping engine one of the principal gardens which 

 supplied Covent Garden exists, and the company requested me to offer to 

 lay down suitable pipes and supply sewage gratuitously, as an experiment. 

 I visited Messrs. Fitch with the landowner for the purpose of offering this 

 supposed boon ; and, after a long discussion, each of the partners pointed 

 out the necessity to get the water off the land if successful culture was 

 desired, and they declined the offer. 



