646 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



he gives the following as the conclusion arrived at, from an examination 

 of the " literature of the old world" in relation to it : 



" 1st. That some natural waters may be served from leaden pipes with- 

 out detriment to health. 



" 2d. That others may not ; and, 



" 3d. That we have no method of determining beforehand whether a 

 given water may or maj'- not be transmitted safely through lead." 



After a series of carefully conducted experiments, the details of which 

 are given, he comes to the following conclusion : 



"The preceding experiments, as a whole, go to show that Cochituate 

 water may be distributed through iron mains and leaden service pipes 

 with as little danger as Schuylkill, Croton, or Jamaica water." Subse- 

 quently he gives the authority of various doctors and chemists upon the 

 question, and from the above draws the inference that, " From the great 

 similarity of Cochituate to Jamaica, Croton, and Schuylkill waters, in its 

 relations to lead, that the quantity of lead that will be dissolved in Cochitu- 

 ate water in actual service, will, for all practical purposes, be of- no 

 moment." 



The water commissioners, not finding their chemists to agree, dispatched 

 their consulting engineer to this city, who obtained the opinion of Mr. Cof- 

 fin, President of the Water Board, in favor of the use of lead pipe, and also 

 the unanimous declaration of all the New York plumbers, who were con- 

 sulted, but could not recollect " To have heard of any complaints that 

 •lead pipe had injured any person." This, coupled with the difficulty of 

 finding a proper substitute, determined the commissioners to adopt lead 



pipe. 



Your committee have been at some pains to ascertain the opinions of 

 physicians in relation to cases of lead poisoning, due to Croton water 

 served through lead pipes. 



Dr. Percy mentioned two cases, in which the cause could only be traced 

 to the use of water drawn through lead pipes. 



Four cases of great interest, given of lead poisoning, can be found in the 

 New York Journal of Medicine, 1851, under the head, "Remarks upon the 

 use of lead as conduit or reservoir for water for domestic purposes, with 

 cases of lead colic resulting from that cause." Other cases have come to 

 the knowledge of your committee, though not so clearly to be traced to 

 the same cause as those already referred to. 



As an example, however, of how such cases may be overlooked by phy- 

 sicians, or ascribed to other causes, there is appended to this report an 

 account of the sickness for a long time, and subsequent recovery, of the 

 Rev. Dr. Lamson, of Dedham, Mass., and in this case the cause is clearly 

 traced. 



Many other cases occurred at Dedham about the same time, and the use 

 of lead pipe was adandoned, with the most happy effect. 



In conclusion, your committee would report that, after having carefully 

 examined both foreign and domestic authority, they are forced to the con- 

 clusion that it is far safer to abandon the use of lead pipe than to depend 

 upon the chance of having the water drawn through the pipe before using 

 it, as recommended by the advocates of its use : and further, your commit 



