and Water used for General Purposes. 151 
The water further contained, per gallon : — 
Grains. 
Actual (saline) ammonia •252 
Organic (albuminoid) ammonia • 168 
Its hardness before boiling, was 26^° 
„ after boiling „ 24i° 
This pump-water, slightly yellow-coloured, on evaporation 
to a small bulk became more strongly coloured yellow ; the 
residue which was left on final evaporation to dryness had a 
brownish colour, and on exposure to a strong heat in a platinum 
dish turned dark, and gave off disagreeable smelling fumes, 
showing that the water contained a considerable amount of un- 
oxidised organic matter. The direct determination of oxidi- 
sable organic matter showed a much larger proportion than ought 
to be present in a good drinking-water. 
It will be noticed that the water contained much more chloride 
of sodium (common salt) and nitrates of lime and magnesia than 
is found in wholesome drinking-waters. The proportions of 
actual and organic (albuminoid) ammonia were likewise greatly 
in excess of the quantities usually found in unobjectionable water. 
Nitrates are products resulting from the oxidation of nitrogenous 
organic or animal matters ; and although harmless in themselves, 
unless they exist in water in excessively large proportion, a con- 
siderable amount of nitrates points to a source of contamination 
which may seriously affect the quality of water. 
The simultaneous occurrence in the water of much common 
salt, nitrates of lime and magnesia, of much saline and organic 
ammonia, and of oxidisable organic matter, is an unmistak- 
able proof of the presence of sewage oi drainage products. It 
will further be noticed that this water contained nearly half a 
grain of phosphate of lime in the gallon. Ordinary spring and 
wholesome well-waters never contain more than mere traces of 
phosphate of lime ; and according to my experience, phosphates 
are only found in appreciable proportions in waters highly charged 
with sewage, or products resulting from the decomposition of 
animal organic matter. The total amount of solid matter was more 
than twice as large as that found in hard but wholesome waters, 
and this also showed that something was wrong with this water, 
I was afterwards informed that there is a burial-ground in the 
neighbourhood of the pump from which the water was drawn, 
and I have no doubt that the drainage of that ground finds its 
way into the well which supplies the public pump. At an}- 
rate, the water was largely impregnated with organic impurities 
of animal origin, and rendered thereby unwholesome and totally 
unfit for drinking purposes. 
A few months ago several cases of typhoid fever occurred in a 
