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You will see that at the end of 120 hours the amount of
Lead in solution had undergone diminuation, owing no doubt to
some precipitation. It subsequently, however, increased again to
rather more than 3 grains. It would appear from this that
between three or four grains per gallon may well represent the
maximum solubility, and when this is reached, precipitation of
some of the dissolved lead—possibly in combination with nitrogenous
matters in the beer—takes place.
Yours faithfully,
(Sgd.) A. Chaston Chapman.
Samples were also taken from stoneware tanks in use, but no
trace of Lead detected.
It would have been thought that these results were definite
enough, but despite these facts, the firm refused to believe that
the tanks were the source of the trouble, and wrote to Messrs.
Hopkins & Sons, to the effect that some other source must be
looked for and suggested an independent set of experiments and
analyses, as there was not sufficient lead in the enamel to produce
any untoward effect. This at onca raised the possibility of two
alternatives. The one, of disobedience of orders by subordinates
in the firm, so that the enamel was not made according to the
instructions of the management, the other, that the firm had been
"put wise " to the effect that lead was an undesirable constituent,
and that later samples might show freedom from lead.