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262 Scientific Intelligence. 
tleman residing near the city having occasion to get the pump supply- 
, ing his house with water repaired, it was found on examination that the 
portion of the lead pipe connected to the pump by a brass coupling, 
was to the extent of an inch almost entirely destroyed and only held 
. together by a few shreds of lead. As it seemed impossible that this 
could have been caused by the action of the water alone, more espec- 
_ ially as the rest of the pipe was entirely uninjured, I was requested by 
Dr 
H. Buckler to examine the water, both as to its action on lead 
h 
which time both waters had become slightly turbid and the lead in each 
was covered in some parts with a thin white film. 
After acidulating the solutions with hydrochloric acid, a current of 
sulphuretted hydrogen was passed through each separately. 
‘* Pump water.”—No. 1. Lead, alone, very slight precipitate of the 
sulphid. No. 2. Lead and brass, copious precipitate. 
Jones Falls.—No. 1. Lead, alone, no precipitate. No. 2. Lead and 
brass, copious precipitate. ak 
I evaporated twelve ounces of each down to two, and a qualitative 
analysis gave the following constituents. 
“Pump water.” Jones Falls. j 
Hydrochloric acid. Carbonic acid, free and in combi 
Sulphuric acid, nation. 
agnesia. Sulphuric acid. 
Lime. Hydrochloric acid, 
Soda. ime. 
Iron, ( perox, Magnesia. 
Reaction neutral. oda. 
lron, (perox.) 
Reaction, slightly acid. 
Judging from the quantity of the sulphuric acid precipitated from the 
well water by nitrate of baryta, I should infer that there existed a sulil- 
cient amount of sulphates to have protected the lead under ordinary ¢!¥- 
cumstances. I have never been able to detect a trace of lead in ‘Jones 
Falls’ water, nor am | aware of any bad effects ever resulting to the 
city from the use of lead pipe ; nevertheless it has been just proved by 
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