Three reports relating to the Hastings water : with an appendix of letters, &c. / Ordered to be printed by the Hastings Local Board of Health.

  • Taylor, Alfred Swaine, 1806-1880.
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Three reports relating to the Hastings water : with an appendix of letters, &c. / Ordered to be printed by the Hastings Local Board of Health. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

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    who have requested the advice and assistance of our Medico- Chirurgical Society, of which I am one of the Secretaries. We have (among other recommendations,) advised that the water should be examined by some eminent chemist quite unconnected with the place, (for, as you may imagine, con- siderable local feelings and interests are likely to be con- cerned in the enquiry,) and it is probable that in a few days I may be officially instructed to apply to you for assistance. In the mean time I have engaged to write to you in my private capacity, just to obtain a little prelimi- nary information for the guidance of our Society. Would you therefore be so kind as to tell me, 1. Whether (if the matter should be put into your hands,) you would be able to attend to it at once, as there are several reasons which render it desirable to have the subject examined into as soon as possible :— 2. Whether both a quantitative and a qualitative analysis will be necessary :— 3. What will be the probable cost of making the necessary analysis;—(In connection with this query I ought to say that the Society has proposed to examine not only a certain number of specimens of the water supplied to the inhabitants generally, but also the water used in each in- dividual house in which a case of sickness from lead- poisoning is supposed to have occurred.) ^ 4. How long it will take to examine the waters :— 5. Whether you would prefer coming to Hastings yourself in order to procure the specimens in a fair and satisfactory manner, (which perhaps vT-ould in our opinion he the better mode of proceeding,) or whether you would consider this to be beyond your province, and that your duty only requires you to examine the water presented to you, no matter how it is procured.— Will you also add any other hints or information that may be useful to the Committee of our Society at * [The latter part of their intention the Committee have been unable to carry into effect, for reaso-hs to be found below. See Nos. 24, 25, 26, 27. p. 29, &c.]