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tions made by Mr. Parry Laws and Dr. Andrewes in regard to
the presence of this organism in sewage. The most careful
search failed to show it in the sewage at the outfalls, although it
was estimated that there were 200 cases of typhoid fever in
London at the time. It was, however, found in the main drain
leading from the fever hospital at Homerton, in which some 40
cases were being treated, but even in this case, on going about
a quarter of a mile further down the drain, the bacillus could no
longer be discovered, Yet no one would accept the nondiscovery
of the typhoid bacillus as proving, or even suggesting,
the wholesomeness of London sewage, and the same may be said
in regard to its non-discovery in London water.
In the present state of knowledge on such matters we are
driven back to much the same opinion as that held by the late
Sir George Buchanan, who said that he did not think that it
was possible, either by chemical, microscopical, or bacteriological
processes, to say when a water was or was not injurious, and
that there was no way of arriving at a solution of this question
except by inspecting the sources of supply, and seeing if they
were or were not polluted. According to this criterion London
river water stands absolutely and hopelessly condemned.
The bill, introduced by Lord James of Hereford, on behalf
of the Government, in the House of Lords, and which has at
the time of writing been read for the first time, provides for the
formation of a water Board for the Metropolis, which is to take
over the Water Companies' business and plant and to have
absolute powers to regulate the sources of supply.
Lord James of Hereford said, in presenting "a bill for
the better control and regulation of the water supply to the
metropolis and the surrounding districts," that the great public
interest that was felt in the question of the supply of water to
the metropolis rendered it advisable that a short statement
should be made as to the nature of the provisions of the bill
which he was about to present to the House for the better