On the contamination of the Water of Leith by the sewage of Edinburgh and Leith / by Stevenson Macadam.

Date:
[1865?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the contamination of the Water of Leith by the sewage of Edinburgh and Leith / by Stevenson Macadam. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    including the patt where tlie channel is narrowed, and also the bottom of the lade, arc covered more or less thickly with putrefying sediment (Table 0.)- This was specially observable— 1. At the dam below Water of Leith village, where the foul deposit consisted on the average of four samples, of 48 per cent, of organic matter, containing nitrogen, and was in a state of active putrescence (Table 0). 2. In the numerous pools in the rocky bed of the Water of Leith behind Moray and Ainslie Places, where the putrefying stuff is often two feet in depth, and contains on the mean of two samples 45 per cent, of organic matter with nitrogen (Table O.) 3. In the bed of the Water of Leith, below the North and South sewers at Stockbridge, where the average of eight samples washed up upon the banks gave 43-g- per cent, of organic matter; a sample taken from the sides of the narrowed channel gave 34-|- per cent, of organic matter ; a sample collected from the bottom of the narrowed run, 80 yards below Stock' bridge, gave 25 per cent, of organic matter ; and still further down, at Malta Terrace, the sediment in the bottom of the run gave 32^ per cent, of organic matter (Table O.). In all of these instances the organic matter was, as usual, of an olFensive and putrescent nature, and contained a decided pi'oportion of nitrogen. 4. In the bed of the Water of Leith, in front of the Canonmills sewer, which contained organic matter to the extent of 31f per cent. (Table O.). 5. In the narrowed channel behind Warriston Crescent, and in the bed of the Water of Leith at St. Mark's Place, after the junc- tion of the Edinburgh lade, when the average of nine samples gave 36 per cent of organic matter containing nitrogen. From this point down to the dam above Bennington there is a stretck of water of nearly half a mile nearly stagnant and overlying afoul deposit of from one to three, and even at its lower parts to four feet in depth. Indeed, this stretch of water is an enormous cess- pool open to the air, and the sedimentary matter is in a state of active putrefaction. At the dam above Bennington the sediment contained 49| per cent, of organic mattei-, accom- panied by 1 - 4 of nitrogen (Table 0.) ; and, G. In the bed of the Water of Leith at the boundary of Edinbui'gh and Leith at Bonniugton Bridge, Avhere one sample gave 27 per cent, of organic matter ; below the junction of the Broughton Burn where the dried sediment contained 13| ])er cent, of organic matter, and at the dam above Junction Road Bridge, where the deposit is from one to two feet in thickness, and con- tained 27| per cent, of organic matter, accompanied by 07 of nitrogen. The lades also, which now and again convey tlic whole or tlie mnjor part of the Water of Leith, arc not exempt from these organic sedi- mentary deposits. The lade wliich commences at the Watei- of Leith village, and traversing Edinl)urgh, is again discharged into the stream at St. Mark's Place, has an avernge deposit of 6 to 8 inches of organic matter at many places, and seven samples taken fi-oni the lade behind Ainslie Place, Moray Place, and India Place, and above Cauon- S?^' g^^V ''/a' ^'2'^' P*^'- «^»^- of organic matter with 0 69 ot nitrogen (lable O.). din/n? ^'''^T'f ^f'l' ^''^P^'-*^^)'!.? ^^Vosh is diffused through a depth of one to two feet, and is necessarily mingled with fine smid hue sand B 2
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