510 Whitaker — Surface- Geology of London. 



I. ^NOTE ON THE SuRFACE-GeOLOGY OF LONDON ; WITH LiSTS OF 



Wells and Boeings, showing the Thickness of the Supek- 

 FiciAL Deposits. By William Whitakek, B.A. (Lond.) F.Gr.S. 

 of the Geological Survey of England. 



[Extracted from the Appendix to the Eeport of the Medical Officer of the 

 Privy Council for 1866.] 



IT is an encouraging ' sign of the times ' when the Medical Officer 

 of the Privy Council avails himself of the aid of the Geologist in 

 making his report on the Health of the City of London. 



The newspapers of the last two years have revealed to us many 

 shocking cases of wells in the metropolitan area which were polluted 

 hy sewage to an alarming extent. Even where wells are made in 

 porous strata (such as Alluviufn, Brick-earth, Gravel, and Sands), 

 the quantity of " Made Ground and Soil," is often equal to half, and 

 sometimes to two-thirds or more, of the entire depth of the well. 



Out of a list of 90 wells, of ascertained depth, 5 were between 40 

 and 50 feet ; 21 were between 30 and 40 feet ; 24 were between 20 

 and 30 feet, whilst 40 were only from 9 to 20 feet in depth. When, 

 notwithstanding all the efforts to the contrary, the sewage of a popu- 

 lation like London is daily affecting the subsoil to a greater or less 

 extent, it stands to reason that all superficial sources of water-supply 

 within the town-area must be seriously vitiated by ancient cesspools 

 and other unremoved nuisances which yet haunt many of the poorer 

 suburban quarters of our great city. 



In addition to the Tabulated List of Wells in London, there are 

 15 Tables comprising u]Dwards of 206 ascertained Borings along the 

 various lines of the Metropolitan Main Drainage Works. The col- 

 lecting and tabulating such data as these, whether it be done by the 

 Officers of the Geological Survey, or by the Engineers, deserves the 

 highest commendation. 



We earnestly hope the Director of the Geological Survey may 

 have his hands strengthened so that he shall be enabled to send one 

 of his staff to visit every section and excavation of any extent, and 

 carefully to record the details of the same before it disappears for 

 ever behind brick-work, or is covered with vegetation. How many 

 fine opportunities of obtaining sections in difficult districts have thus 

 been lost! In conclusion, we would express our conviction that 

 Geology should not only form a part of the training of every Civil 

 Engineer, but Contractor's Clerks and Assistants have in many in- 

 stances shown that they could, if properly trained, make excellent 

 geological observers in the field. 



n. — Elementabt Geology and Elementary Mineralogy. Bt 

 J. E. Gregory. London, 1867. 



UNDEK the above titles Mr. Gregory has arranged in book- cases 

 a series of specimens of rocks, fossils, and minerals, with a 

 view of affording the student or traveller the advantage of readily 



