Report on filter-carts and barrack-filters / by E. Nicholson.

  • Nicolson, E.
Date:
1875
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on filter-carts and barrack-filters / by E. Nicholson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    * S E^°ellency. the Commander-in-Clnef fully agrees with the fe nitaiy Commissioner in his recommendation that the filters should be practically tested on the march of the 89th Regiment under the immediate supervision of Surgeon-Major Nicholson. Sir Frederick Haines considers this a very important point; and, as the regiment is under orders to march from Bangalore on 1st February 1875 and the time is short for making up the filter-carts. His Excellency desires to submit this report for early consideration and orders of Government, and trusts that the estimated expense of Rupees 670 may be made available for carrying out the experiment so intimately connected with the health and well-being of our European soldiery. From Surgeon-Major W. R. Cornish, f.r.c.s., Sanitary Commissioner for Madras, to Brigadier-General A. Howlett, c.b., Quartermaster-General, — Fort St. George, dated Ootacamund, 3rd November 1874, No. 7. I have the honor to forward herewith, for the consideration of His Excel- lency the Commander-in-Chief and Government, a letter and two reports by Surgeon-Major E. Nicholson on the subject of the construction of cart- filters for use with troops on the line of march. 2. In the “ Report (No. 1) on projects and suggestions for a filter-cart” Mr. Nicholson has, I consider, estimated very fairly the merits of the various schemes already submitted to His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief by various officers. None of these plans really meet the difficulties to be encoun- tered in the construction of a filter for use in marching, and I quite agree with Mr. Nicholson in the conclusion that, for effective filtration in motion, we must discard the use of sand. 3. Mr. Nicholson alludes to the thoughtful and intelligent view of the whole subject by Major Hawkes, of the Commissariat Department, and the useful suggestions of Major Lockhart and Dr. Hyde, although the latter are more adapted for household than moveable filters. I venture to hope that the interest displayed in the subject by these and other officers may meet with the commendation of His Excellency and Government. 4. In the “ Report (No. 2) on the best model for a filter-cart,” Surgeon- Major Nicholson has very clearly expressed the conditions which it is desirable to obtain in a cart-filter, and his proposals to meet the several conditions appear to be thoroughly well considered. It will be observed that sponge is proposed as the mechanical filtering agent, and animal charcoal for the further purification of the water from dissolved organic matter. Mr. Nicholson, however, proposes to report further on the efficiency of these filtering media after observation and experiment. 5. Mr. Nicholson is of opinion that one filter-cart will ordinarily suffice for the watei’-supply of 150 men and the usual proportion of women and children. The filtration would be usually performed during the period the carts were at rest, so that only filtered water would be carried when the carts are in movement.