Purification of Water. 289 
Ant. XXIV.—On Purification of Water. By Mr. J. G. 
W. Dautke, M.S.A.L., &e. 
[Read by Dr. J. E. Neild, 11th November, 1867.) 
It is well known that pure river and spring water contains 
an inexhaustible amount of nutriment from which plants 
derive their principal food, and indeed this fact accounts for 
many mysterious phenomena in regard to the physiology 
and culture of plants and animal life. But little attention is 
paid as yet to the subject by the public at large, with whom 
brightness and palatableness of the water pass invariably 
for guarantee of good quality. However this is but a poor 
criterion to go by, because it is quite possible that water, 
bemg coloured and having an unpleasant taste, may be whole- 
some, whereas bright and good tasting water can be, and not 
seldom is, poisonous to a high degree. 
I remember a case which occurred in London some years 
ago. There was a public pump in the parish of St. James’, 
which for generations had the reputation of yielding the 
most healthy water in that neighbourhood, and people were 
in the habit of sending for it from considerable distances. 
Now, it happened at the time of the cholera that this district 
suffered far more than might have been expected, it being 
well ventilated and generally considered healthy. The 
medical men therefore suspected an influence, the origin of 
which had escaped their notice and caused a stringent 
investigation ; but in vain, until 1t occurred to the district 
Medical. Officer of Health (1 believe Dr. Lankester) to 
examine the water. Of course this pump came also under 
his notice, and sure enough the analysis proved that the so 
highly esteemed water was to a high degree injurious, hold- 
ing an excess of organic matter kept in solution by an abun- 
dance of acids. When known, it was easily accounted for, 
because the so-called London valley has a gritty and loose 
soil which rests upon a thick layer of rich clay, therefore 
the wells sunk in it must get contaminated from the filth 
which will necessarily accumulate in such a vast city. A 
few years afterwards, the medical faculty of London became 
alarmed from the fact that lead poisoning cases had been 
noticed, and Dr. Letheby, with whom I happened to be in 
personal correspondence about the purification of the water 
of the London drinking fountains, told me that he had 
good reason to suspect the leaden supply pipes, etc. of 
