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Sewage Works Analyses
October, 1902]
Law Reports
49
large accumulation of London refuse upon their briekfield. On July 11th this heap of refuse, which was 40 yards long, 30 yards wide, and 2 yards high, and about 1,200 or 1,300 yards from the Town Hall, became ignited, and the fumes beat clown into the town, causing much discomfor~ to the inhabitants. Mr. S. G. Lushington appeared on behalf of the Sittingbourne Council, and Mr. 1). G. Lynch for the defendant company. The evidence showed that correspondence had passed between the council and the firm upon the subject, but no attempt had been made to put out the fire. Proceedings then followed. The smell emitted from this garbage when burning was unbearable, the smoke being acrid and pungent. It was contended that this refuse was the rough stuff which had been sifted after the ashes used in the burning of bricks had been taken from it, and that for purposes of brick-making it was useless. It was suggested that the defendants might have put up a destructor, as had already been done by one local firm with success ; or they might have cut a +zench through the heap and separated the burning portion, extinguishing the same with water, or smothering it with earth. To all these suggestions it was stated that these methods had been tried on previous occasions, and that the remedy was worse than the disease. Evidence in support of the prosecution was given by Mr. W. L. Grant, surveyor ; Dr. H. G. Sutton, medical officer of health ; Drs. F. Grayling and R. M. Boodle ; and Mr. F. G. Gibson, chairman of the ~ouncil. The principal witness for the defence was Mr. George Andrews, the manager, who said that his firm employed 1,400 hands, and paid from ~70,000 ~o ~80,000 every year in wages. For the past fifty years the firm had burnt "rough stuff" without any prejudicial effect to health. What the public suffered from was, he maintained, the smell of the open sewer discharging crude sewage into the creek, of which complaints had been made by his firm to the council for years. No attempt had been made by the defendants to put out the fire, as it was impossible to do so. It was stated that men working among the " r o u g h stuff" had not suffered in health, but they had done so in consequence of the foul exhalations of the open sewer. The Cour~ held that the case had been proved, and the defendants were fined 20s., were ordered to prevent a recurrence of the nuisance, and were mulcted in costs to the extent of ten guineas. Notice of appeal to the Quarter Sessions was given.
REVIEWS. SEWAGE WOI~KSANALYSES. By Gilbert J. Fowler, YI.Sc. (Vict.), F.I.C., Superintendent and Chemist Manchester Corporation Sewage Works. Pp. 135. Price 6s. net. London: P. S. King and Son, Orchard House, Westminster, 1902. " Sewage Works Analyses " is a little book of which the title sufficiently describes the contents. It contains, however, something more than a description of processes and apparatus, as there is a brief account of the chief methods of sewage purification in actual use at the present time, and a very clear statement of ~he precise object for which the analyses are made, and of the interpretation to be placed on the resul~ 4
50
l~e V~¢~rS
[Public Health
Nothing new in the way of apparatus is suggested, and all the methods of analysis described have stood the test of time. The author writes of processes of which he has had much personal experience, and while, unfortunately, no two chemists~'would agree in their choice of me~hods for certs2n of the determinations, but few would eritieise the selection here made. The book is well and clearly printed, and ~he illustrations are excellent, and to all who are concerned in the practical control of sewage works it can be thoroughly recommended. THE SECOND REPO~ OF THE :ROYAL CO~M~SSIONON SEWAGE.--This volume consists entirely of a valuable series of reports (ten in number) dealing with various points, such as the methods best adapted for use in the examination of sewage and effluents, the standards which should be adopted, and the result on pathogenic organisms of various methods of treatment. These researches have been undertaken by Professor Boyce, Drs. Houston, MacConkey, McGowan, Griinbaum and Hill, and Mr. C. Frye. Dr. Houston requires that before an effluen~ be discharged into a stream, the water of which is used for drinking purposes, there should be an absence of putrescible matter, as judged by chemical tests, and_ freedom from the germs of epidemic disease as judged by the absence of ~he 2 . coli from 1 c.e. of the sample. From these researches it appears possible for pathogenic organisms to resist destruction by other organisms. The B. ty2hi abdo~inalis was unable to multiply in crude sewage or sewage eft]uents, and disappeared within seventeen days at the most, but the JP. anthracis was found five months after the sewage installation had ceased working. Effluents from bacteria beds attain a high standard of chemical purity, but these observers state that bacteriological examination will reveal the presence of countless numbers of B. coli and other saprophytic inhabitants of the intestinal canal. If this is to be regarded as the Source of such organisms, then it is evident that more is necessary for the purification ot such effluents, but in the nature of things these researches, valuable as they are, must not be regarded as in any way final, but rather as "strivings for the light." The Commission is doing good work in promoting such research, and there is ample scope for further developments, for the problems of the supply of drinking-water and the disposal of sewage are ones likely t o accupy many years of careful work.
PERSONAL. DR. F. W. C~,X~K, medical officer of health for Hong Kong, has been. nominated a member of the Legislative Council of that colony. TH~ Bissit Hawkins gold medal has been awarded by the Royal College of Physicians of London to William H e n r y Power, F.R.S., Principal Medical Officer to the Local Government Board. TH]~ Rhondda Urban District Council has decided to appoint its medical officer of health (Dr. J. D. Jenkins) permanently instead of reelecting him annually as hitherto. Althougb there may be some differences o f opinion as to the desirability of giving to all medical officers of health fixity of tenure, there can be no doubt as to the wisdom of
Law Reports
49
large accumulation of London refuse upon their briekfield. On July 11th this heap of refuse, which was 40 yards long, 30 yards wide, and 2 yards high, and about 1,200 or 1,300 yards from the Town Hall, became ignited, and the fumes beat clown into the town, causing much discomfor~ to the inhabitants. Mr. S. G. Lushington appeared on behalf of the Sittingbourne Council, and Mr. 1). G. Lynch for the defendant company. The evidence showed that correspondence had passed between the council and the firm upon the subject, but no attempt had been made to put out the fire. Proceedings then followed. The smell emitted from this garbage when burning was unbearable, the smoke being acrid and pungent. It was contended that this refuse was the rough stuff which had been sifted after the ashes used in the burning of bricks had been taken from it, and that for purposes of brick-making it was useless. It was suggested that the defendants might have put up a destructor, as had already been done by one local firm with success ; or they might have cut a +zench through the heap and separated the burning portion, extinguishing the same with water, or smothering it with earth. To all these suggestions it was stated that these methods had been tried on previous occasions, and that the remedy was worse than the disease. Evidence in support of the prosecution was given by Mr. W. L. Grant, surveyor ; Dr. H. G. Sutton, medical officer of health ; Drs. F. Grayling and R. M. Boodle ; and Mr. F. G. Gibson, chairman of the ~ouncil. The principal witness for the defence was Mr. George Andrews, the manager, who said that his firm employed 1,400 hands, and paid from ~70,000 ~o ~80,000 every year in wages. For the past fifty years the firm had burnt "rough stuff" without any prejudicial effect to health. What the public suffered from was, he maintained, the smell of the open sewer discharging crude sewage into the creek, of which complaints had been made by his firm to the council for years. No attempt had been made by the defendants to put out the fire, as it was impossible to do so. It was stated that men working among the " r o u g h stuff" had not suffered in health, but they had done so in consequence of the foul exhalations of the open sewer. The Cour~ held that the case had been proved, and the defendants were fined 20s., were ordered to prevent a recurrence of the nuisance, and were mulcted in costs to the extent of ten guineas. Notice of appeal to the Quarter Sessions was given.
REVIEWS. SEWAGE WOI~KSANALYSES. By Gilbert J. Fowler, YI.Sc. (Vict.), F.I.C., Superintendent and Chemist Manchester Corporation Sewage Works. Pp. 135. Price 6s. net. London: P. S. King and Son, Orchard House, Westminster, 1902. " Sewage Works Analyses " is a little book of which the title sufficiently describes the contents. It contains, however, something more than a description of processes and apparatus, as there is a brief account of the chief methods of sewage purification in actual use at the present time, and a very clear statement of ~he precise object for which the analyses are made, and of the interpretation to be placed on the resul~ 4
50
l~e V~¢~rS
[Public Health
Nothing new in the way of apparatus is suggested, and all the methods of analysis described have stood the test of time. The author writes of processes of which he has had much personal experience, and while, unfortunately, no two chemists~'would agree in their choice of me~hods for certs2n of the determinations, but few would eritieise the selection here made. The book is well and clearly printed, and ~he illustrations are excellent, and to all who are concerned in the practical control of sewage works it can be thoroughly recommended. THE SECOND REPO~ OF THE :ROYAL CO~M~SSIONON SEWAGE.--This volume consists entirely of a valuable series of reports (ten in number) dealing with various points, such as the methods best adapted for use in the examination of sewage and effluents, the standards which should be adopted, and the result on pathogenic organisms of various methods of treatment. These researches have been undertaken by Professor Boyce, Drs. Houston, MacConkey, McGowan, Griinbaum and Hill, and Mr. C. Frye. Dr. Houston requires that before an effluen~ be discharged into a stream, the water of which is used for drinking purposes, there should be an absence of putrescible matter, as judged by chemical tests, and_ freedom from the germs of epidemic disease as judged by the absence of ~he 2 . coli from 1 c.e. of the sample. From these researches it appears possible for pathogenic organisms to resist destruction by other organisms. The B. ty2hi abdo~inalis was unable to multiply in crude sewage or sewage eft]uents, and disappeared within seventeen days at the most, but the JP. anthracis was found five months after the sewage installation had ceased working. Effluents from bacteria beds attain a high standard of chemical purity, but these observers state that bacteriological examination will reveal the presence of countless numbers of B. coli and other saprophytic inhabitants of the intestinal canal. If this is to be regarded as the Source of such organisms, then it is evident that more is necessary for the purification ot such effluents, but in the nature of things these researches, valuable as they are, must not be regarded as in any way final, but rather as "strivings for the light." The Commission is doing good work in promoting such research, and there is ample scope for further developments, for the problems of the supply of drinking-water and the disposal of sewage are ones likely t o accupy many years of careful work.
PERSONAL. DR. F. W. C~,X~K, medical officer of health for Hong Kong, has been. nominated a member of the Legislative Council of that colony. TH~ Bissit Hawkins gold medal has been awarded by the Royal College of Physicians of London to William H e n r y Power, F.R.S., Principal Medical Officer to the Local Government Board. TH]~ Rhondda Urban District Council has decided to appoint its medical officer of health (Dr. J. D. Jenkins) permanently instead of reelecting him annually as hitherto. Althougb there may be some differences o f opinion as to the desirability of giving to all medical officers of health fixity of tenure, there can be no doubt as to the wisdom of