a oo Hayes on the Cochituate Water. 
iron. With them there isa neutral body, which resembles mucil- 
age from gum, and is usually in a changing state, especially while 
the water is warm, in the summer season. 1e gases dissolved are 
closely approaches to these in character. 
In the latter part of October last, | was watching, for the in- 
creased amount of organic acids, due to the decomposition of 
vegetable matter, after a season of drought, succeeded by copious 
rains, when J was greatly surprised to find the humates and apo- 
crenates giving place to crenic acid and crenates, accompanied by 
a perceptible odor of d osing vegeto-animal matter, such as 
is emitted by freshly disturbed soil. This odor, which character- 
izes the humus from animal matter, continued several days, the 
water became colorless, while the organic matter, including car- 
bonic acid, increased so as to exceed nineteen times the minimum 
amount previously found. ‘The condensed vapor from the water 
had a strong odor of earth, or precisely that of guano from humid 
climates, and possessed an acrid reaction. No more than a mere 
resembling that of fresh-water fish, which, with slight variations 
in intensity, has continued nearly ten weeks. Before the water 
throughout the city became thus contaminated, the suggestion 
arose that the cause was local; the secondary main supplying my 
dwelling-honse having perhaps retained some parts of eels or fish. 
A careful examination was made and by analysis, a portion of oil 
was separated from the water, which had been filtered through 
muslin to remove suspended impurities. ; 
_ _ By distillation, the odor cond be isolated from the water, which 
thns lost, What was pronounced by good judges, to be the taste 
fish oil, while the water, retained the oil, almost destitute of odor. 
eee. 
