230 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



stone curbs, to be conveyed away by carts, and again thrown into 

 the river, with the same obstinate attempt to pollute its waters 

 with a constant accumulation of solidified refuse. "Who, knowing 

 these facts, can possibly relish those delicious luxuries, fish, that 

 constantly feed and grow fat upon such matters. 



Now let us banish the idea of turning the North and East rivers 

 into common sewers, and consider how the sewerage can be best 

 arranged, by making use of the present sewers, by intercepting 

 their contents before they reach the rivers, and form receptacles 

 in which to collect them. By so doing we accomplish two objects; 

 the public health and economy, being kept in view, it becomes 

 our duty to show that the sewerage can be collected, raised, dis- 

 persed and treated without the least detriment to the first of these 

 important objects, at a cost that will be balanced at least by the 

 advantage of applying sewerage as a manure or an enricher for 

 irrigation. 



It is well known to all thinking men, that the contents of 

 sewers consist of human and animal excretia, earthy matters, car- 

 ried down by the surface water from the streets, with a portion of 

 decayed vegetable and animal substances, which, during putre- 

 faction, disengage ammonia; and if this process takes place in the 

 open air, it mingles with the atmosphere in the form of carbonate 

 of ammonia, and leaves the sewerage in a less valuable condition. 



This admirable substance may be fixed in very many ways, by the 

 use of chloride of calcium, muriatic or sulphuric acid, and even 

 superphosphate of lime, all of which are cheap articles of com- 

 merce. If you would try an experiment to test the fact, fill a 

 basin with concentrated muriatic acid, and place it in the City 

 Hall water-closet, and you will soon find it filled with crystals of 

 muriate of ammonia. Chemistry thus comes to our aid, and 

 teaches us the means by which nearly, if not quite all, the offen- 

 sive properties of sewerage water may be easily suppressed, and 

 the useful properties retained for agricultural purposes. There 

 is, therelbre, no reason why a receptacle at the foot of each of our 

 sewers in which the sewerage may be collected, should be, in any 

 one respect, more disgusting to the senses, or injurious to the 

 health of our citizens, than a reservoir of pure spring water. 



