TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 165 



valuable horses which were being reared there. The water was bright looking, 

 pleasant to the taste, and quite free from any organic impurity ; the foals, however, 

 who drank the water soon died, and the whole stud were seriously affected with 

 diarrhoea. Professor Way, one of the Royal Commissioners on Water Supply, 

 analyzed the water, and it was foimd to contain sulphates of magnesia and soda in 

 considerable quantity. On discontinuing the use of the water the disease was 

 arrested. A similar case occurred at Rugby ; but in that instance human beings 

 were the sufferers. The water from an artesian well free from organic impurity 

 was hailed with satisfaction at its brightness: the community, however, were 

 attacked with diarrhoea, caused by the sulphate of magnesia or Epsom salts present 

 in the water, and the supply had to be discontinued, as there is no known method 

 of freeing the water fi'om sulphates. The opinions of some leading authorities on 

 water-supply have imdergone considerable modification recently. A few years ago 

 Dr. Frankland returned all solid matters in water as impurities in the analyses he 

 made. The author was therefore much surprised to hear him recommend as a 

 supply to a district containing 14,000 inhabitants a water proved by analysis to 

 contain 12^ grains of anhydrous sulphate of magnesia per gallon, equal to 25 grains 

 per gallon of Epsom salts. This evidence was given last session before a Com- 

 mittee of the House of Commons. Dr. Frankland stated that it was absurd to sav 

 that a water containing such a quantity of Epsom salts could be objectionable from 

 a dietetic point of view. Fortunately for the health of the people the Parliamen- 

 tary Conmiittee refused to allow the district to be supplied with the Epsom-salt 

 solution. The water of St. Ann's Well, at Buxton, the slight purgative quality of 

 which is considered one of its merits, contains an amount of magnesia equal to 

 13 gi'ains of Epsom salts per gallon. It is known that goitre and other throat and 

 glandular affections, and even idiocy, have been attributed to inorganic salts in 

 drinking-water. We know that the human system is easily deranged by a change 

 in the drinking-water. The spa and chalybeate waters at the favourite places of 

 resort have been renowned for ages for their medicinal virtues. If the entire 

 organic structures of the human body are liable to alteration when excess of mineral 

 matter is introduced into the system, it is essential that health-seekers at these 

 medicinal springs should place themselves under medical supervision. And one of 

 the first considerations in the inauguration of a water-supply should be to ensure a 

 perfect freedom from excess of any mineral except those comparatively harmless 

 ingredients — chloride of sodium and carbonate of lime. 



Further ResearcJies on the Physiological Action of the Chinodhie and Pyridine 

 Bases. By Prof. Dewar and Dr. M'Kendrick. 



On the Origin of the Lymphatics. 

 By Drs. Geoe&e and Frances Elizabeth Hoggan. 



Our knowledge of the intimate structure of the lymphatic system commences 

 with Von Recklinghausen, the discoverer of the beautiful silver method of staining 

 tissues. As it was impossible to speak in a short paper of the" nature of the lym- 

 phatic radicles in all tissues and in all classes of the Vertebrata, the authors exhibited 

 drawings carefully executed, by the aid of the camera lucida, of the following : — 



1. Lymphatics and their radicles in the voluntary muscles of mammals. 



2. Lymphatics and their radicles in the involuntary muscles of Batrachians, 

 .3. Lymphatics and their radicles in the skin of fishes. 



4. The development of lymphatic vessels in the embryo. 

 6. The development of lymphatic radicles at all ages. 



The development c.f the lymphatic radicles is simply that of fixed connective 

 tissue. The gradual development of embryonic cells into permanent connective 

 tissue was described by means of drawings, which showed the distinct multinuclear, 

 protoplasmic, embryonic cells in the early embryo, forming the first stages of the 

 cells of a basement membrane. The embryonic cells place themselves in position, 



