164 REPORT — 1875. 



On the 16tli September, 1869, a white rat, six days old, was treated daily with 

 a decigramme of phosphate of alumina in a litre of distilled water, with rice and 

 gluten. On the 29th November, 1809, the rat died suddenly of convulsions. A 

 post mortem examination showed inflammation of the intestines, attributed to the 

 mechanical effect of nodules of phosphate of alumina. The rat was boiled in dis- 

 tilled water, and then boned. The bone-ash contained : — 



Lime 41-10 



Alumina 6'95 



On the same date as the first rat, a little rat of the same litter was put under the 

 same conditions, except that in place of phosphate of alumina, phosphate of mag- 

 nesia was administered. This rat was killed on the 25th November, 1869, appa- 

 rently quite healthy. The bone-ash was found to contain : — 



Lime 46-15 



Magnesia 3-56 



May 2l8t. — Six chickens, just hatched, were taken ; one killed immediately ; 

 others fed with rice, cooked in distilled water, with phosphate and carbonate of 

 magnesia added to the ordinary salts in the water they di-ank. 



June 28th. — Rice replaced by wheat, cooked as the rice. 



The five chickens were killed at different periods. 



Ash showed in analysis. 



r>- . 4,1 T 1 ) Lime 63-45 



First,4thJuly j Magnesia ... . 0-88 



Second, 12th July m""®" •- ^n'^ 



' •' I Magnesia .... 090 



Three others, 10 days later I Lime 50-51 



I Magnesia 2-01 



There were only inappreciable traces of magnesia in the bones of the chicken 

 killed at the moment of its birth. The bones of all these animals had preserved 

 their ordinary aspect and physiological properties, and there was no disturbance of 

 the normal functions of the system. Bone-ash, as is known, consists of phosphate 

 of lime, with about two per cent, of phosphate of magnesia, and more or less car- 

 bonate of lime. The full importance of these experiments does not seem to have 

 been fully appreciated. It is not only shown that the food which is eaten afl'ects 

 the composition of the bones, but that mineral matter in dilute solution is capable 

 of being assimilated. The experiments are in fact experiments on different kinds 

 of artificial drinking-waters, and illustrate how profoundly the bodies of animals 

 are influenced by the mineral constituents of the water which they drink. They 

 seem to show that the effect of altering the composition of the water-supply of a 

 community might involve questions of vast importance to the organic structure of 

 the human body, if the very composition of our bones is affected by the quality of 

 the water. If the water contains lime, lime may be taken up, and would appear as 

 phosphate of lime in the bones ; if stroutia, as phosphate of strontia ; if magnesia, 

 as phosphate of magnesia. If by any combination of circumstances these salts 

 should be deficient, the bones would be imperfectly supplied with mineral matter. 

 It is said that such instances have occurred in Holland in districts where the inha- 

 bitants can only obtain rain-water for drinking-purposes. This fact, probably com- 

 bined with an absence of lime in their food, occasions a softening and distortion of 

 the bones of the body. By vai-ying a water-supply it might be possible to alter 

 the physical organization of a population, and in future ages, from the examina- 

 tion ot the bones of bygone generations, the character of the water they were in the 

 habit of drinking might possibly be deduced. So much attention is now directed 

 to organic impurity in drinking-water (a defect which can be completely remedied 

 by careful filtration), that the inorganic impurities have been almost overlooked, 

 although there are numerous instances where serious consequences have arisen 

 from the incautious use of deep-spring waters. Some time ago at Hendon, in 

 Middlesex, an artesian well was bored to supply the water necessarj' for some 



