quantity of oxygen absorbed, and 10 only put for the whole of these evidences of direct sewage contamination. He therefore objected to that number and considered it ought to be enlarged by so much being given to epithelium, muscular fibre, vibrions, and so on. Microscopists could not at present invariably distinguish between some forms of innocent bacteria and those which would cause disease, and yet a valuation of 10 only was given to bacteria which might spread typhoid, summer diarrhoea, or some other form of disease. And therefore bacteria and other things showing direct sewage contamination should be valued higher.

Dr. Dupré deprecated putting a prohibitory value to any particular constituent, and doubted very much whether a water was ever found with bad microscopical results where all the other results were not bad too.

Dr. Muter said that were the original motion, which he still urged on their consideration, carried, he should have moved the omission at present of any valuation being given to physical characters, such as colour, odour and microscopic appearances, because those must always be a matter of opinion, and he thought that only definite chemical points for which they could get figures should be at present considered. At the same time he was not to be taken as detracting from the importance of these indications in experienced hands. The point from which they ought not, however, to wander was-is there to be a scale or not, and he hoped that they would not part without coming to a definite decision on this broad principle, favourable to the adoption of a scale. He did not think that it was desirable to ask THE ANALYST to take a responsibility, which the Society as a whole dreaded to assume, and this being the tendency of Dr. Dupré's amendment he could not accept it, but still pressed the original motion of Mr. Wigner on the notice of the meeting.

Mr. Heisch said that as far as he understood Dr. Dupré he did not wish the consideration of the subject postponed indefinitely, but to have the results of the valuation scale as applied to the waters analysed by the members of the Society published with the analyses every month. He thought that if this were done, and analysts would give anything like a definite account of the microscopic examination, they would at the end of six months be better able to judge of the scale than at present. He had a very great belief in the value of microscopic examinations, not only of the deposit from water but also of the residue of the evaporation of a drop on a slide and was always much guided by these in his estimate of a water, but at present was not prepared to give a definite value to each individual object found.

After some other remarks Dr. Dupré's amendment was put and lost.

The discussion having extended to an unusually late hour,

Dr. Tripe then proposed, and Mr. Allen seconded, another amendment, "That the further consideration of the matter be adjourned till the first available meeting in January next."

This was carried, and the discussion was adjourned accordingly.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR WATER ANALYSIS.-On page 131 we print a further part of these

Instructions.

PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIES OF ENGLAND.

VALUATION OF THE ANALYSES PUBLISHED IN THE ANALYST ACCORDING TO THE SCALE REFERRED TO IN MR. WIGNER'S PAPER.

CORRESPONDENCE.

[The Editors are not responsible for the opinions of their Correspondents.]

THE WATER SUPPLY OF PHILADELPHIA, U.S.A.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE ANALYST."

SIR,-I send herewith a statement of a partial analysis of Schuylkill Water, the sample having been taken on May 17th, from the laboratory hydrant. I am satisfied that the character of the water has not changed in any important particular since last month.

In the report published in May number, the decimal points have been in two cases wrongly printed; the numbers should be, nitrogen as nitrates 0-0500 instead of 0.500 as printed; and oxygen consumed should be 0.0560 instead of 0.560 as given.

920, Walnut Street, Philadelphia, May 27th, 1881.

HENRY LEFFMAN, M.D.

ERRATA.-In the concluding portion of Mr. Heisch's Paper on the "Swedish Acts affecting Sale of Poisons" on page 101, four lines from the bottom, '04 inch should be '08; and on the same page, line 6 from top, the sentence should read—“It is remarkable that all Coal Tar Colours, if they contain arsenic, or other poisonous matters are mentioned, but, &c."

parts.

ERRATA." Instructions for Water Analysis," Reagents, p. 129, D. (a), 1000 parts, should be 10,000

BOOKS, &c., RECEIVED.

The Chemist and Druggist; The Brewers' Guardian; The British Medical Journal; The Medical Press; The Pharmaceutical Journal; The Sanitary Record; The Miller; Journal of Applied Science; The Boston Journal of Chemistry; The Provisioner; The Practitioner; New Remedies; Proceedings of the American Chemical Society; Le Practicien; The Inventors' Record; New York Public Health; The Scientific American; Society of Arts Journal; Sanitary Engineer of New York; The Cowkeeper and Dairyman's Journal; The Chemists' Journal; Oil and Drug News; The Textile Record of America; Sugar Cane; Country Brewers' Gazette; The Medical Record; Report on Sorghum and Cornstalks, Washington; Department of Agriculture.

THE ANALYSES OF THE PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIES OF ENGLAND. To ensure the completion of the analyses in time for the reports to be included in the monthly table, it has been thought desirable that these reports should in future comprise samples drawn between the 15th of one month and the 15th of the following month. Thus samples drawn between July 15th and August 15th should be considered as being the August supply. It will be very convenient if the analysts engaged will kindly forward their reports to the secretaries early in each month, and the arrangement now adopted will facilitate their doing so.

is used.

Abbreviations:-c., clear; f., faint; h., heavy; P., pale; v. h., very heavy; v. s., very slight.