40 
INJURIOUS  EFFECTS  OP  CHEMICAL  WORKS. 
turists  deposed  that  the  estate  formerly  abounded  in  beautiful 
oak,  elm,  and  ash  timber ;  but  since  the  erection  of  the  chemical- 
works,  the  tops  and  shoots  of  the  trees  had  been  killed,  the  young 
grasses  and  crops  were  withered  up  whenever  the  wind  blew 
the  vapor  from  the  chemical-works  upon  them ;  not  a  fruit-tree, 
quickset  hedge,  or  flower-shrub  could  live ;  the  timber  began  to 
decay ;  when  trees  were  afterward  felled,  they  were  found  to  be 
in  a  bad  state,  and  much  of  the  timber  that  had  been  left  stand- 
ing had  died  away,  until  torn  up  by  the  wind  from  want  of  vigor* 
The  ravages  seemed  to  have  extended  to  a  distance  of  several 
miles  from  the  works.  Some  of  the  witnesses  had  noticed  the 
vapor  descend,  and,  on  such  occasions,  every  metal  article  in  the 
houses  where  it  could  obtain  entrance,  even  if  those  articles  were 
bright  and  polished  just  before,  would  become  speedily  covered 
with  a  dull,  rusty  coating.  It  appeared  that  the  substances  em- 
ployed by  Messrs.  Muspratt  were  chiefly  common  salt  and  oil  of 
vitriol,  from  which  was  evolved  muriatic  acid  gas,  which,  combin- 
ing with  the  atmosphere,  and  falling  to  the  earth,  destroyed  both 
animal  and  vegetable  life.  A  great  number  of  experiments  had 
been  tried,  with  a  view  to  remove  the  destructive  effects  of  the 
vapor,  but  they  were  unsuccessful,  and  the  defendants  had  to 
pay  compensation  to  various  parties  from  time  to  time,  for  the 
injury  done  to  their  crops ;  and  among  those  parties  were  the 
present  plaintiffs.  The  works  having  been  given  up,  the  question 
for  the  jury  was  as  to  the  actual  amount  of  damage  which  had 
been  previously  caused  to  the  timber,  fences  and  crops  of  the 
plaintiffs.  Mr.  Justice  Cresswell  thought  as  the  works  had  been 
given  up,  it  was  a  great  pity  to  go  on  trying  actions  ;  and  inquired 
whether  there  could  not  be  some  mode  adopted  of  arranging  mat- 
ters, seeing  that  the  defendants  had  not  sought  to  set  up  any 
question  of  right.  The  suggestion  of  the  learned  judge,  how- 
ever, was  not  acceded  to  by  the  counsel  on  either  side,  and  the 
examination  of  witnesses  consequently  proceeded.  A  compro- 
mise of  all  the  actions  was,  however,  finally  arranged,  the  respec- 
tive plaintiffs  agreed  to  accept  £500  pounds  each,  or  a  total  of 
£2000,  Messrs.  Muspratt  binding  themselves  to  pull  down  the 
works. — Bost.  Med,  and  Surg.  Journal,  from  Lancet. 
