24 
NOTES AND ABSTRACTS JN CHEMISTRY AND PHARMACY. 
The "Water Supply of the Metropolis. 
London is supplied with water by nine companies; five taking it from the 
Thames, one from the New River, one from the river Lea, and two from springs 
or Artesian Wells. These waters are now regularly analysed once a month by 
Dr. Frankland, and the results published in the returns of the registrar-general. 
In an annual report,of which an abstract was j)resented to the Chemical Society,^ 
Dr. Frankland describes the methods of analysis adopted, and gives a table of 
the results obtained during the year 1865. He also shows by curves the varia¬ 
tions in the amount of impurities present at different periods of the year, and 
compares these curves with one showing the rainfall during the same period. 
From these it appears that the river-waters are subject to greater variations 
than the spring ^\’•aters. The total solid matter in the river-waters undergoes 
in all three cases a tolerably uniform diminution to the end of April; from then 
to the end of May it suffers in all cases a sensible increase, after which it again 
diminishes to June and July. It then oscillates slightly to November when it 
increases suddenly, and remains steady to the end of the year. The curves re¬ 
presenting the loss by incineration, and the amount of oxygen required ta 
oxidize the organic matter, take substantially the same form as that indicating- 
the total solid matter. 
A comparison of these curves with that representing the rainfall shows that 
the condition of the river waters is mainly influenced by the amount of rain; 
but, in opposition to the commonly received opinion, it proves that these waters 
are much purer in dry than in wet Aveather, even if the drought occurs during 
a very hot summer. Such, at all events, is the result of one year’s observations. 
As before mentioned, the constituents of the well waters are subject to less 
variation. The curves representing the total solid residue, and the oxygen re¬ 
quired to oxidize the organic matter give some indications of following the rain¬ 
fall curve; but that representing the loss by ineineration exhibits no such ten¬ 
dency. 
The following tables shows the average composition of the Metropolitan 
waters for the year 1865. The results are expressed as parts in 100,000 of water. 
By multiplying these numbers by 0-7 they are converted into grains per gallon. 
Mean of the Monthly Analyses made during 1865. 
In 100,000 parts 
of water. 
Thames Companies. 
Other Companies. 
1 
Chelsea. j 
1 
West 
Middlesex. 
Southwark. 
Grand 
Junction. 
Lambeth. 
1 
Kent. 
U 
a; 
k 
• rH 
Ph 
East j 
London 
(River Lea.) 
D CO 
O OQ 
Total solid mat- 
ter. 
26-44 
26-43 
26-89 
26-97 
26-41 
37-79 
25-24 
27-98 
40-28 
Organic and 
other volatile 
matter . 
• 1-50 
1-57 
1-77 
l-ol- 
1-61 
1-65 
0-98 
1-62 
1-82 
Oxygenrequired 
! 
to oxidize or- 
ganic matter.. 
•0794 
•0581 
•0791 
•0636 
•0818 
1 -0149 
•0251 
•0504 
•0103 
The Adulteration of Almond Oil, and its detection. 
M. J. Nickles statesf that in the south an oil of apricots is made and sold in 
very large quantities. This oil closely resembles in its physical characters the 
sweet oil of almonds, and, being producible at a much lower price, is conse- 
* Jour, of Chem. Soc. June 1866, p. 269. 
t Jour, de Pharm. May 1866, p. 332. 
