Report on the quality of the waters used in the in-wards of the parish of St. George, Hanover Square / by Dr. Druitt.

  • Druitt, Robert, 1814-1883.
Date:
[1856]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on the quality of the waters used in the in-wards of the parish of St. George, Hanover Square / by Dr. Druitt. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    ter which waa in the water when originally delivered, or which the water has actually brought with it, but of matters which have been developed in the water since it was de- livered; and it must be added, that the decomposition of animals and vegetables, which have been developed in water kept in open tanks, may give rise to most offensive smells, which do not belong to the original water. One other general point there is to be alluded to. In the Tabular Statement it will be seen that nitric acid has been found in almost aU the pump waters. This is a point which is made much of in most analyses of water, inasmuch as the nitric acid is believed to proceed from the decomposition of sewage and other organic matter; and, although harmless itself (nay, it is believed to impart an agreeable, cool, pungent taste to the water), it is supposed to show that there is risk of some more dangerous contamination. Having made these general observations on the objects of the analyses, I will now apply them to the various speci- mens of water that have been examined. In the first place, the Grand Junction water I believe to at be one which the parishioners may use with the utmost confidence in its wholesomeness. It is taken from the Thames at Hampton, and pumped into reservoirs at Kew. There it is, first of all, allowed to settle, and deposit any mechanical impurities ; then it is filtered through beds of sand, gravel, and shells, six feet in thickness, and is delivered perfectly clear and bright, and free from any living impurities. The degree of hardness of one specimen, taken from the cistern of my house (9th of July), was 16’94; that of another specimen, taken (13th of August) from the reservoir at Kew, before filtration, was 12’6. Of course the hardness varies according to the amount of rain. By boiling, the hardness of the first specimen was reduced to 425; that of the second, to 4‘45. Each