426 Original Articles. [July* 



hardness or softness, while those of potash or soda are neutral, we have 

 an intelligible basis of comparison. According to this view, which is 

 very generally adopted, we may express the degree of hardness in a 

 sample of water according to the number of grains of salts of lime and 

 magnesia per gallon it contains. The standard of purity is water ob- 

 tained by repeated distillation, but for ordinary purposes absolutely 

 pure water is unfit for use, the presence of mineral matter being essen- 

 tial to the animal economy. Water which contains mineral matter in 

 small quantities is the best adapted for use, and such, we think, it can 

 be shown is the character of that derived from wells in the New Eed 

 Sandstone. 



We proceed to give the results of analyses of samples derived from 

 wells in different parts of the country, commencing with Liverpool, 

 which will serve to give reliable information regarding the quality 

 of the water. Several of these analyses have been kindly supplied 

 for this paper. 



Analyses of Water from Wells in New Bed Sandstone. 



Liverpool District. 



The following analyses were made by Mr. Eichard Phillips, for the 

 Liverpool Corporation : — 





BOOTLE. 



SOHO. 



Windsor. 



Green Lane. 





Grs. per gal. 



Grs. per gal. 



Grs. per gal. 



Grs. per gal. 



Sulphate of Lime . 



. 331 



5-44 



0-49 



00 



Carbonate of Lime 



. 7-10 



2-94 



8-70 



5-26 



Carbonate of Magnesia 



. 6-93 



8-81 



7-43 



2-66 



Chloride of Sodium 



. 3-37 



4-47 



3-42 



2-23 



Silica . . . 



. 0-48 



1-12 



1-20 



0-63 



Organic matter 1 

 Potassium and loss J 



. 2-81 



2>02 



1-94 



2-81 



24-00 24-80 23-22 1360 



Manchester District. 



As a general result the waters from the Manchester wells contain 

 14 grains of salts of lime in a gallon, viz. 8 grains of sulphate and 6 

 grains of carbonate. For the following special example, taken from 

 the south side of Manchester, the author is indebted to Dr. E Angus 

 Smith, F.E.S. :— 



Chloride of Sodium .... 



Grs. per gal 



4-88 



Sulphate of Soda .... 



733 



Carbonate of Soda .... 



7-35 



Carbonate of Lime .... 



9-77 



Carbonate of Magnesia 



5-29 



Phosphoric Acid, Lithia, Potash . 



traces 



34-62 

 Degrees of hardness • • 15-0 

 The Lithia was seen by the Spectroscope. 



Analysis of Water from a Well at Parkside, near Warrington, belong- 



