Water Supply of Belfast, 69 



The new scheme will prove beneficial both from a pecuniary and 

 a sanitary aspect. For some time past there has been evinced 

 on the part of our various authorities a desire to raise the health 

 standard in Belfast. Large sums are being spent on sanitary 

 improvements, and I consider tliat not the least important step 

 in this direction will be found to be the determination of the 

 Water Commissioners to carry out the large system of works 

 which I have attempted to describe. 



Professor Letts — T have listened with great interest to Mr. 

 Macassey's paper, which deals with a subject not only of 

 scientific, but also of practical and individual importance. Ever 

 since I have been in Belfast, I have taken the greatest interest 

 in the water supply, and it has been particularly pleasant for 

 me to listen to Mr. Macassey this evening, for I look upon him 

 now as a missionary might look upon a convert to his teaching. 

 Some time (in fact, years) ago it might be remembered there 

 was a newspaper controversy between myself on one side and 

 Mr. Macassey on the other, on the subject of Belfast water ; I 

 contending that it would be much better for filtration, and Mr 

 Macassey maintaining that it was already quite pure and good. 

 I am glad to find Mr. Macassey has changed his opinion on 

 that point. I still contend that the water at present supplied 

 to the town is bad, perhaps worse than formerly ; and with a 

 bad water supply, bad drainage (as yet), and a filth-laden soil 

 (as unfortunately was in the town), it is no wonder that the 

 death-rate is high ; and I have heard on sound authority that 

 Belfast had the very dishonourable distinction of heading the 

 list of the towns in the united kingdom in death-rate from 

 typhoid fever. Our drinking water at present is derived from 

 surface drainage, from the upland, charged with the excreta of 

 animals — possibly of men also — and, no doubt, with artificial 

 manures, and is supplied unfiltered. It is consequently foul and 

 impure, a statement I can justify from experiments made in my 

 own laboratory, and from the constantly repeated analyses of 

 other chemists. In 1885 I analysed the water, and found that 

 it contained no free ammonia, but •15 per million parts of 



