Annual Report for 1891 of the Consulting Chemist. 841 
None of these samples contained any appreciable quantity of 
phosphate of lime. B was virtually nothing but shell-sand, C was 
quite white, and seemed much like lincly powdered magnesian 
limestone, whilst A appeared to be a mixture of B with some 
amount of C. 
The following is the analysis of a sample of Indian bone-meal 
which was sent to me, and which I found to be low in quality, 
owing to adulteration with some material kindred to the above, and 
composed mainly of carbonate of lime and sand : — 
Water 7-57 
' Orgauic matter 24-22 
Phosphate of lime ....... 46'24 
Carbonate of lime, &c. ...... 15-43 
Sand 6-54 
100-00 
Containing nitrogen .... .^-27 
Equal to ammonia ..... 3 97 
A sample of pure Indian bone-meal, if as dry as this sample was, 
would have contained probably 50 per cent, of phosphate of lime, 
and about 4^ per cent, of ammonia. 
Waters. 
A larger number of waters have been sent to me for examination 
than usual. Out of the.se, there is one case to wliich it is desirable 
to refer, as illustrating the caution which it is necossaiy to observe 
when sending up samples of water for analysis. Too often an old 
spirit jar, provided with an old and generally badly-fitting cork, is used 
for holding the water. A .scum has frequently collected round the 
inside of the jar, and is not easily removed, but it may nevertheless 
taint the water, though the latter be good in itself. It is for this 
reason that I infinitely prefer samples of water to be sent in glass- 
stoppered Winchester bottles, holding half a gallon each. It is 
then apparent whether a water be clear or cloudy, or whether any 
sediment or scum be left on the bottle. The analyst must simply 
report upon what he finds, and it is not everyone who can discrim- 
inate (indeed, often it is quite impossible to do so) l:)etween a water 
naturally pure but fouled by being put in a dirty jar, and one which 
is naturally impure. A member of the Society sent me a sample of 
water in a stone jar, and on analysis it showed : — 
Grains per 
gallon 
Oxidisable organic matter -54 
Free ammonia ........ '0105 
Albuminoid ammonia ...... '006 
figures which, standing by themselves, would lead a chemist to 
suspect impurity of the water .supply. There were, however, other 
