THE MIDDLE LIAS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. 
73 
being based upon a well-known case, “Chasemere v. Richards.” 
The case was then taken to the Court of Appeal, and the 
previous decision unanimously overruled by the Master of the 
Rolls and Lords Justices Cotton and Lindley, in February, 
1885. The reasons assigned for this were to the effect that 
an owner of property has no ownership over the water perco¬ 
lating below the surface of the ground, though he has a right 
to appropriate as much as he likes during its passage under 
his land, even to the extent of taking it all, but he must not 
pollute the common reservoir or source so as to affect the 
right of his neighbours to appropriate the water in its natural 
state. In answer to an argument on behalf of defendant to 
the effect that if the plaintiff had not by artificial means 
pumped up the water he would not have sustained damage, 
so that the damage would not have accrued but for his own 
act, it was replied that “ as long as a person did not use 
means which were unlawful, however artificial or extensive 
those means might be, he had a right to use them.” 
It must be a great relief to authorities deriving their 
water supply from underground sources of moderate depth to 
know that they can stop pollution of the reservoir, even 
though the source of the pollution may be a considerable 
distance away, and particularly in cases where the porous bed 
is of considerable thickness, and so would not easily bring 
about its own prohibition of disuse by silting up. 
THE PURIFICATION OF WATER. 
There is so much difference of opinion with respect to 
what constitutes a safe water for drinking purposes, and as to 
the adequacy of natural and artificial means of purification, 
that I venture to submit the following notes on the subject, 
and then the sufficiency or otherwise of the precautions 
suggested in connection with the filling up of the Marlstone 
may be judged. 
The impurities in a water may be derived from the 
atmosphere through which it passes as rain, the soil through 
or over which it runs, the rocks or deposits in which it is 
collected, and the sewage or other matter discharged into it, 
• Rain Water, which indeed all fresh water is in the first 
instance, has had less opportunity of becoming polluted than 
any other water; but even this is seldom satisfactory for 
drinking purposes unless collected far away from towns. 
Analysis of samples of rain from various parts of the country, 
made for the Rivers Pollution Commission, show that it is 
water that has washed a dirty atmosphere , full of the products 
of respiration of animal life, and of animal and vegetable 
