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better quality than that distributed in March; for whilst
the proportion of organic elements in this water was
from 7½ to 9 times as great in March as that contained in
the Kent Company's water, it was only from 3¼ to 3½ as
great on the 10th instant."*
The Gas Supply.—Very numerous have been the
complaints of late against the impurity and deficient
illuminating power of the gas supplied, not only in this
District, but throughout the Metropolis. The consumption
of gas is now so immensely large, that the companies,
almost everywhere, find it difficult to keep up an adequate
supply, and there are good grounds for believing that
very few attempts are made to render it as pure as
it might be, The views of a member of your Board, Mr.
Thomas Adamson, of Putney,† are perhaps the soundest
and the most practical of any that have been published
upon this subject, and this gentleman is of opinion that
gas, as at present manufactured, can be purified to a much
greater extent than it now is, if sufficient time be given
for such purification, or the gas be evolved at a much
lower temperature than is usually the case. The removal
of sulphur compounds, Mr. Adamson seems to think,
may be both efficiently and economically accomplished by
the proper application of lime, and he is of opinion that
any direct failure of the process is to be attributed " more
to the imperfect knowledge of the proper application of
lime, than to any defect in the process itself." If, then,
the interests of the consumers are to be properly studied,
there can hardly be two opinions as to the responsibilities
resting on all sanitary authorities to protect the ratepayers
from being supplied with impure gas, for are not, it may
be asked, impure gas, unwholesome gas, and gas of low
illuminating power, identical?
* The Registrar General's Weekly Return, April 26th, 1873.
† Abstract of Report on Gas Impurities, read before the Committee of
Delegates of the Vestries and District Boards of the Metropolis, bv
Mr. T. H. Adamson, July 9th, 1872.