No. XXXVI.B.] APPENDIX. 401 



of, no less than 2,700 acres would be required to take the water. The 

 amount is so large that the mind does not realize it, for who can form any 

 conception of 1,460 million gallons of sewage, which is the sum per 

 annum of the sewage of Croydon upon the chairman's statement of its 

 amount at 4,000,000 gallons a day, though I should have thought that 

 it would not have averaged above half that amount ? 



After the sewage soaks through the land, the water is collected again 

 into another main stream. If the whole has filtered through the earth, the 

 fluid is clear; but, notwithstanding its brightness, it is frequently found to 

 be putrescible, when it ought not to be allowed to pass to the neighbouring 

 brook. In practice, the irrigator is often neglectful ; and I have seen an 

 acre or more transformed into a small sewage lake, from whence the 

 sewage has run unchanged into the river, to act as a poison to the inha- 

 bitants who live lower down the stream. 



It is not safe to trust our senses to discover a small quantity of 

 sewage in a large quantity of water. On the occasion of the last visitation 

 of cholera, I was aware of a well the water of which was poisoned. I 

 urged the immediate removal of the pump handle, but loud were the 

 remonstrances of some of our most eminent bankers, who were thus 

 deprived of their usual water for luncheon. The water was proved to have 

 been derived from the worst of all possible sources ; but the presence of 

 saline matters in water is as attractive to human beings as it is to cattle. 



It is perfectly manifest that sewage irrigation as now practised is a 

 failure, commercially as well as practically, for the disposal of sewage, as 

 sewage farms are continually to let. It therefore becomes a question for 

 social science to endeavour to devise, if practicable, some more perfect 

 system for the disposal of sewage. On a small scale this has been effected 

 by the earth closet ; but this has never been adapted to a town, and its 

 practical use on a large scale presents many difficulties and dangers. 



If no better plan than irrigation can be discovered, then social science 

 must determine whether any mode can be adopted to destroy the sewage 

 matter before it goes upon the ground. The Lime process, the Salts of 

 Iron process, the A. B. C. process, Anderson's precipitating process (as 

 used by the General Sewage and Manure Company), Scott's process, and 

 others too numerous to mention, are in this direction. If any plan for 

 the thorough destruction of the poisonous character of sewage can be 

 discovered, great good will be effected. Some of these processes have 

 been highly extolled; but further experience is required before the uni- 

 versal adoption of any such plan can be recommended. 



The influence of carbolic acid in determining the mode of putrefaction 

 is very remarkable. It is stated that it has been applied with success to 

 sewage; but a more extended experience is required before it can at 

 present be recommended on a large scale. The influence of animal char- 

 coal, peat charcoal, and cinders, has also to be considered and made the 

 subject of further experiment ; but hitherto they have not been reported 

 to be successful, and every process appears to fail to get rid of the urea. 



Unquestionably difficulties present themselves in dealing with the 

 sewage question. Financial companies are said to have large sums of 

 money invested upon a false estimate of the high money value of sewage. 

 The Mapplin Sand speculation influences the matter ; complicated private 

 interests are interfered with ; and some landowners get as much as 10 an 



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