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159
mature of manganate op soda by metropolitan board
The Board seems to have been using these chemicals for some
time previous to this report in 1886 for I find that in 1884, Mr. W.
J. Dibdin reports "that the works for the manufacture of manganate
of soda were completed at Crossness and a considerable saving in
price effected."
experts consulted by board.
The Board has consulted, as experts on this subject, Messrs. A
Dupre F. A. Abel, William Odling, Alex. W. Williamson, and Sir
Henry Roscoe, and all the experiments carried out point to satisfactory
results having been obtained from the use of the chemicals in question
In December, 1887, Sir Henry Roscoe experimented on the deodorization
of the London sewage on a large scale with various chemicals,
the results being in favour of manganate of soda.
report from engineers' department.
The reports by the officers of the engineering department of the
London County Council also shew that the use of these chemicals
has considerably diminished the number of complaints of the street
ventilators.
present use by council.
Notwithstanding all these experiments and results, this recommendation
of the Sanitary Committee to the Board, of January, 1886,
does not appear to have been fully acted upon, although the manganate
of soda and sulphuric acid has been used by the Board and Council
at various periods since that date, and is being used at the present
time at Hammersmith, to deodorize the sewage passing through the
Dawes Road Sewer, and in a number of other places in London.
If the Vestry adopt the chemicals proposed to be used by Mr. Reeves,
it has before them the example of the Metropolitan Board and Council;
it will also be acting in accordance with the advice of Mr. Dibdin,
the Chemist to the Council, who has for many years advocated their
use.
advantage op application op chemicals before
decomposition.
It is also manifest that the application of these chemicals to the
sewage before it has had time to decompose is a better course to
adopt than to wait until it has reached the outfall.
Mr. Reeves, in one of his books, points out that otherwise "you
allow putrefaction to begin at the extreme end the system, and
continue the whole length of the sewers (some seventeen
consequently when the sewage decomposed thoroughly at its arrival at
the outfall the process of treatment is heavier and more costly."