On manure poisoning, with suggestions for the prevention of the pollution of wells in agricultural districts / by Eben. Duncan.

  • Duncan, Eben.
Date:
[1885]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On manure poisoning, with suggestions for the prevention of the pollution of wells in agricultural districts / by Eben. Duncan. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    r/'b/.~ /9f(> On Manure Poisoning, with suggestions for the Prevention of the Pollution of Wells in Agricultural Districts. By Eben, Duncan, M.D., F.F.P.S.G., &c. Read before the Society, 29th April, 1885. a For an opportunity of investigating the occurrences on which this paper is founded I am indebted to Dr. Milroy of Kilwinning. A letter was written by him to the Glasgow Herald in September last, calling attention to the poisoning of a well at the village of Benslee by Glasgow manure, and to an outbreak of typhoid fever which had resulted in consequence among the persons avIio drank the water of that well. I visited the village of Benslee a few weeks ago, and, with the assistance of Dr. Milroy, I made a careful enquiry into the facts bearing upon the origin of that outbreak. My attention was also directed to another case of well-poisoning by manure in the neigh- bourhood of Kilwinning by which a whole family had suffered. The proof of the connection between the alleged cause and the effect in these cases seemed to me to be very complete. Although the traffic in town manure, which so frequently contains the poisonous excrements of diseased human beings, is carried on in all parts of the country, sufficient attention has not hitherto been directed to its evil results, I therefore think that a complete record of these occurrences is of considerable importance. The first case which I shall narrate is the poisoning of the well at Whithurst Farm, Kilwinning. I give you the facts as related to me by the farmer, and corroborated by Dr. Milroy. In the end of December, 1881, the farmer-tenant of this farm bought a quantity of manure from the Glasgow Corporation. This manure he spread over a grass field adjoining the farm steading. In the centre of this field was situated a spring-well from which he drew his domestic water-