332 Air-pollution by Chemical Works). [July, 



on the magnitude of the evil which may and does arise from the 

 pollution of the atmosphere "by gases discharged during the carrying 

 on of various manufacturing processes; secondly, on the state of 

 our laws on the subject ; and thirdly, as to the direction which 

 further legislation on the subject should take. 



The evils complained of are not uniformly spread throughout 

 the country, and do not come under the observation of everyone. 

 Some districts are found to be specially suitable for carrying on a 

 particular manufacture, so throughout the country we find works of 

 a certain kind grouped together. Those who reside in the districts 

 known as " manufacturing," are too familiar with the evils arising 

 from noxious vapours floating in the air to need any setting forth 

 of their extent, unless indeed familiarity with these evils has dimmed 

 the perception of their magnitude. In Staffordshire, the so-called 

 "black" country is a district of many miles in extent, blasted by 

 the smoke of the iron furnaces ; in it not a tree can be found, and 

 scarce a blade of grass. Xear St. Helens and Widnes in Lan- 

 cashire scarce a living tree is seen in the direction towards which 

 the prevailing winds blow, and in the valley of Swansea, thickly set 

 with copper works, not only are the hill-sides bared of the green 

 forests which once waved there, but the underwood, the shrubs, the 

 hedge-rows, the grass itself is gone, and, to complete the desolation, 

 when the roots and fibres which permeated the soil died and rotted, 

 the soil itself, no longer able to withstand the action of the rain, 

 was also washed away, leaving only bare heaps of stone and gravel. 

 These, more like huge railway embankments than natural hill-sides, 

 suffer yet another injury, for the rain, not now absorbed and held 

 back by tree, shrub, grass, roots, or soil, falls on the bare hill-side, 

 as on the slated roof of a house, and as quickly runs off it, plough- 

 ing the ground in its headlong course, making each rippling stream- 

 let into a torrent even during a moderate shower. And still the 

 desolation is not fully described, for when the even adjustment of 

 nature is disturbed, who shall say where the derangement will stop ? 

 Here the grass, the soil is gone, and with these the insects and 

 birds, with the exception of a few sparrows. 



The manufacturing processes which may give rise to noxious 

 vapours are numerous. The French, in the elaboration of their 

 sanitary code, enumerate seventy-four. 



These noxious vapours may do injury of two kinds — injury to 

 animal life and to vegetation. 



Injury of the former class, though real and widespread, is a 

 matter less easily brought to the measure of money than that of 

 the second class. People are annoyed at a vile smell arising from 

 some manufacturing process, and by its continuance are affected in 

 health, but they do not assess the damage in money and sue for it at 

 law, except in so far as property is injured. Where, however, in 



