Reports made to the directors of the London (Watford) Spring Water Company on the results of microscopical examinations of the organic matters and solid contents of waters supplied from the Thames and other sources / by Edwin Lankester, M.D., F.R.S. and Peter Redfern, M.D., F.R.C.S.L. : Together with a chemical report on the quality of various specimens of water from Chalk Springs near Watford ; by Thomas Clark, M.D. and John Smith, M.D.

  • Lankester, Edwin, 1814-1874.
Date:
1852
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reports made to the directors of the London (Watford) Spring Water Company on the results of microscopical examinations of the organic matters and solid contents of waters supplied from the Thames and other sources / by Edwin Lankester, M.D., F.R.S. and Peter Redfern, M.D., F.R.C.S.L. : Together with a chemical report on the quality of various specimens of water from Chalk Springs near Watford ; by Thomas Clark, M.D. and John Smith, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The specimens were collected in the year 1852 by Mr. James Try, as follows : New Eiver water on March 29th and May 6th; West Middlesex Company’s on March 30th and May 8th; Grand Junction Com¬ pany’s on May 7th ; Lambeth Company s (Thames Ditton) on March 27th, May 1st, 6th, 15th a, 15thB, 22nd, and 29th. When these Avaters were examined by the naked eye after standing for one or two days without exposuie to light or heat, the New Liver water presented living animals to the number of fifty in each quart, toge¬ ther with a copious brownish deposit, easily diffused again on agitation; the ITest Middlesex Avater pre¬ sented flocculi of organic matter in suspension, Avith a copious dark-brownish deposit, cohering in clots; the Thames Ditton Avater shoAved numerous patches of organic matter in suspension, along AAuth animalcules in some specimens, and presented a sparing dark-broAvnish deposit, cohering in clots: the Grand Junction Avater was clear; it shoAved several animalcules and a spaiing light-coloured and flocculent deposit. In the instances in which the deposit Avas clotted, this Avas due to the presence of filaments of fungi binding its particles together. The de]30sii consisted in the NeAV Liver ,j Avater chiefly of living animals and plants, and of a con¬ siderable quantity of dead organic matter : in the West Middlesex Avater, there Avas a larger quan¬ tity of dead organic matter in proportion to the living organisms: in the Thames Ditton Avater, the deposit was mainly composed of dead organic matter