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THE METROPOLITAN WATER-SUPPLY.
THE METROPOLITAN WATER-SUPPLY.-THE CAUSATION OF CANCER.
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the effect that he had no reason to keep books relating to his patients of nearly 40 years since in a practice at a place which he had quitted 10 years ago. Again she laid considerable stress upon the fact that the certificate of Mr. Druce’s death did not bear the signature of Dr. Shaw, Mr. Blasson, or any other medical man, asking whether in this respect it was not a unique document. The answer to this was given by another witness and by - counsel, who pointed out that the signature of a medical practitioner who has attended the deceased has only been necessary since the Registration of Births and Deaths Act of 1874, so that in cases of registration at the period when Mr. Druce died no such signature is to be expected. We need not comment on the plaintiff’s further allegation that one of the witnesses to Mr. ’T. C. Druce’s will, then an elderly partner in a firm of solicitors, is not dead, but, having been for some years "employed as a stoker in the underground labyrinths of Welbeck Abbey, is now keeping a lodging-house in London ! It is certain that whatever defects may exist in our system of death registration, or existed in it before 1874, the decease of the late Mr. T. C. Druce has been proved with a singular ’conclusiveness that must be convincing to all but Mrs. Druce
naturally replies to
herself. ____
THE
METROPOLITAN WATER-SUPPLY.
THE report on the condition of the metropolitan watersupply during the month of October has recently been issued by the Water Examiner appointed by the Local Government The Thames water at Hampton, Molesey, and Board. was in good condition during the whole of the Sunbury The height of the river varied from a point two month.
inches above to one nine inches below the average level. The average daily supply derived from the Thames was 128,511,523 gallons, from the Lee 34,635,700
summer
gallons, and from " springs "and wells 50,612,198 gallons. Springsand wells are mentioned in the report every month. There are springs at Hampstead and Highgate which to some extent supply the ponds the water of which is distributed by the New River Company for non-domestic purposes to the average daily amount of 68,839 gallons. ’fhese springs are obviously not included in the estimate of the water derived from "springs"and wells which is used for domestic purposes. We are certainly under the impression that the spring at Chadwell is the only one which .at the present time yields water which is used by - a metropolitan water company. More than one spring The daily possibly opens into the Chadwell basin. month the was average amount of water used during which a 213,828,330 gallons, represents daily average of head for a at 6,290,974. estimated 33’99 gallons per populatior The amount used per head daily during the month, except in the case of the customers of the West Middlesex Company, was less than that used in the corresponding month of last year. The total number of supplies furnished by the water companies during the month was estimated at 935,133 and .this shows a daily average of 229 gallons for each such supply. The companies which are now credited with giving a constant supply to all their customers are’ the Chelsea, the East "
the West Middlesex. The do not profess to give constant service *to more than 77’3 per cent. of their clients. A very slight improvement only has taken place in this respect during the tiast year. In October, 1900, the proportion of constant supplies was 75 ’6 per cent. The water rents which this company are ;allowed to charge are very high and the people who have the misfortune to live within the area of their supply are not well treated. The inconveniences attending an intermittent are well known and need not supply be here insisted upon, but the company give also other
London, the Grand Junction, and Lambeth
Company
for complaint. During the month of October "the water of the Lambeth and East London Companies exhibited the deepest average tint of brown," or in popular parlance was the "dirtiest water." The Water Examiner also says that according to the statements of the chemists who report on behalf of the companies the water of the Lambeth Company showed the highest average amount of organic carbon." The East London Company during the month obtained a supplementary supply from the Southwark and Vauxhall Company. The amount so obtained if spread over the whole of the month was equivalent to an average daily supply of 7,120,677 gallons. The Battersea station of the Southwark and Vauxhall Company is, of course, still in use. The results of a daily examination of the water distributed from Battersea might prove of interest. Dr. T. E. Thorpe, F. R. S., the analyst appointed by the Local Government Board, gives as a result of his examination of samples collected on Oct. 7th the information that as regards organic impurity the waters supplied should, judged from one single analysis of each, be placed in order of merit as follows : New River, Kent, Chelsea, Southwark, Grand Junction, Lambeth, West Middlesex, and East London. Dr. Thorpe speaks of the supplies given by the New River and by the East London companies as Lee-derived waters, and although the matter is not one of paramount importance it seems unnecessary to perpetuate an erroneous nomenclature. During the month of October considerably less than half of the water distributed by the East London Company was derived from the Lee. The amount obtained from the various sources gave the following daily average :From the Lee and storage, 12,398,000 gallons ; from the Thames, 16,058,000 ; from wells, 12,000,000 ; from Hanworth "springs,"1,595,000. The fact that the New River water is very largely derived from wells has been recently pointed out in THE LANCET. It does not appear from the report by whom the selection is made of the samples of water which are analysed by Dr. Thorpe. We do not remember to have seen an analysis of either (1) the water supplied from the East London Thames station during a period in which the river was in flood, or of (2) the water supplied from the Grand Junction Hampton station-that is to say,’the local supply which is pumped directly to the neighbourhood.
grounds
THE CAUSATION OF CANCER. Ix THE LANCET of Dec. 7th (p. 1578) we published a paper entitled Excess of Salt in the Diet a Probable Factor in the Causation of Cancer," by Dr. James BraithDr. Braithwaite candidly admits that he has not waite. produced absolutely conclusive proof of it, but merely offers the suggestion that salt is the essential factor in the etiology of cancer. His strongest argument is that malignant disease is unduly prevalent at Malton and Pickering, where the main articles of food would appear to be beef and bacon, a diet containing an excess of salt. An argument of this nature, however, would require considerable support before it would have any weight. A similar course of reasoning has been followed with regard to other conditions (e.g., anæmia) without success. The main point raised by Dr. Braithwaite, however, is that cancer is extremely rare amongst the Jews, and he offers the suggestion that this is to be explained by the fact that the Jews take less meat (beef) than the Gentiles and entirely refrain from bacon and ham, and consequently We believe, however, that a more consume less salt. systematic and widespread inquiry would show that cancer is not so uncommon amongst women and men of Jewish birth as has hitherto been supposed. Inquiries which we have ourselves made support this contention. Some years ago a similar view was held with regard to pulmonary tuberculosis, but all physicians attached to the special chest
1686
the effect that he had no reason to keep books relating to his patients of nearly 40 years since in a practice at a place which he had quitted 10 years ago. Again she laid considerable stress upon the fact that the certificate of Mr. Druce’s death did not bear the signature of Dr. Shaw, Mr. Blasson, or any other medical man, asking whether in this respect it was not a unique document. The answer to this was given by another witness and by - counsel, who pointed out that the signature of a medical practitioner who has attended the deceased has only been necessary since the Registration of Births and Deaths Act of 1874, so that in cases of registration at the period when Mr. Druce died no such signature is to be expected. We need not comment on the plaintiff’s further allegation that one of the witnesses to Mr. ’T. C. Druce’s will, then an elderly partner in a firm of solicitors, is not dead, but, having been for some years "employed as a stoker in the underground labyrinths of Welbeck Abbey, is now keeping a lodging-house in London ! It is certain that whatever defects may exist in our system of death registration, or existed in it before 1874, the decease of the late Mr. T. C. Druce has been proved with a singular ’conclusiveness that must be convincing to all but Mrs. Druce
naturally replies to
herself. ____
THE
METROPOLITAN WATER-SUPPLY.
THE report on the condition of the metropolitan watersupply during the month of October has recently been issued by the Water Examiner appointed by the Local Government The Thames water at Hampton, Molesey, and Board. was in good condition during the whole of the Sunbury The height of the river varied from a point two month.
inches above to one nine inches below the average level. The average daily supply derived from the Thames was 128,511,523 gallons, from the Lee 34,635,700
summer
gallons, and from " springs "and wells 50,612,198 gallons. Springsand wells are mentioned in the report every month. There are springs at Hampstead and Highgate which to some extent supply the ponds the water of which is distributed by the New River Company for non-domestic purposes to the average daily amount of 68,839 gallons. ’fhese springs are obviously not included in the estimate of the water derived from "springs"and wells which is used for domestic purposes. We are certainly under the impression that the spring at Chadwell is the only one which .at the present time yields water which is used by - a metropolitan water company. More than one spring The daily possibly opens into the Chadwell basin. month the was average amount of water used during which a 213,828,330 gallons, represents daily average of head for a at 6,290,974. estimated 33’99 gallons per populatior The amount used per head daily during the month, except in the case of the customers of the West Middlesex Company, was less than that used in the corresponding month of last year. The total number of supplies furnished by the water companies during the month was estimated at 935,133 and .this shows a daily average of 229 gallons for each such supply. The companies which are now credited with giving a constant supply to all their customers are’ the Chelsea, the East "
the West Middlesex. The do not profess to give constant service *to more than 77’3 per cent. of their clients. A very slight improvement only has taken place in this respect during the tiast year. In October, 1900, the proportion of constant supplies was 75 ’6 per cent. The water rents which this company are ;allowed to charge are very high and the people who have the misfortune to live within the area of their supply are not well treated. The inconveniences attending an intermittent are well known and need not supply be here insisted upon, but the company give also other
London, the Grand Junction, and Lambeth
Company
for complaint. During the month of October "the water of the Lambeth and East London Companies exhibited the deepest average tint of brown," or in popular parlance was the "dirtiest water." The Water Examiner also says that according to the statements of the chemists who report on behalf of the companies the water of the Lambeth Company showed the highest average amount of organic carbon." The East London Company during the month obtained a supplementary supply from the Southwark and Vauxhall Company. The amount so obtained if spread over the whole of the month was equivalent to an average daily supply of 7,120,677 gallons. The Battersea station of the Southwark and Vauxhall Company is, of course, still in use. The results of a daily examination of the water distributed from Battersea might prove of interest. Dr. T. E. Thorpe, F. R. S., the analyst appointed by the Local Government Board, gives as a result of his examination of samples collected on Oct. 7th the information that as regards organic impurity the waters supplied should, judged from one single analysis of each, be placed in order of merit as follows : New River, Kent, Chelsea, Southwark, Grand Junction, Lambeth, West Middlesex, and East London. Dr. Thorpe speaks of the supplies given by the New River and by the East London companies as Lee-derived waters, and although the matter is not one of paramount importance it seems unnecessary to perpetuate an erroneous nomenclature. During the month of October considerably less than half of the water distributed by the East London Company was derived from the Lee. The amount obtained from the various sources gave the following daily average :From the Lee and storage, 12,398,000 gallons ; from the Thames, 16,058,000 ; from wells, 12,000,000 ; from Hanworth "springs,"1,595,000. The fact that the New River water is very largely derived from wells has been recently pointed out in THE LANCET. It does not appear from the report by whom the selection is made of the samples of water which are analysed by Dr. Thorpe. We do not remember to have seen an analysis of either (1) the water supplied from the East London Thames station during a period in which the river was in flood, or of (2) the water supplied from the Grand Junction Hampton station-that is to say,’the local supply which is pumped directly to the neighbourhood.
grounds
THE CAUSATION OF CANCER. Ix THE LANCET of Dec. 7th (p. 1578) we published a paper entitled Excess of Salt in the Diet a Probable Factor in the Causation of Cancer," by Dr. James BraithDr. Braithwaite candidly admits that he has not waite. produced absolutely conclusive proof of it, but merely offers the suggestion that salt is the essential factor in the etiology of cancer. His strongest argument is that malignant disease is unduly prevalent at Malton and Pickering, where the main articles of food would appear to be beef and bacon, a diet containing an excess of salt. An argument of this nature, however, would require considerable support before it would have any weight. A similar course of reasoning has been followed with regard to other conditions (e.g., anæmia) without success. The main point raised by Dr. Braithwaite, however, is that cancer is extremely rare amongst the Jews, and he offers the suggestion that this is to be explained by the fact that the Jews take less meat (beef) than the Gentiles and entirely refrain from bacon and ham, and consequently We believe, however, that a more consume less salt. systematic and widespread inquiry would show that cancer is not so uncommon amongst women and men of Jewish birth as has hitherto been supposed. Inquiries which we have ourselves made support this contention. Some years ago a similar view was held with regard to pulmonary tuberculosis, but all physicians attached to the special chest