364 THE ANALYST. THAMES WATER. BY G. W. WIGNER, F.C.S. THE following analysis of samples of Thames water, which I have recently made for the Woolmich Board, will probably possess rather more than a passing interest. They show clearly how large a proportion of sea water finds its way up R large tidal river auch as the Thames, to a distance of some forty miles from the mouth, and to within about a dozen miles of where it ceases to be tidal.The samples were taken when the river was in slightly more than its average condition of flood. The increase in the proportion of chlorine, as the samples are taken at greater depths from the surface, will be noted as a marked feature in the results. The microscopical results gave the most convincing proof of sewage contamination, as fragments of partially decomposed food and animal fibre and disintegrated paper were found in more than two-thirds of the samples.All of them swarmed with living and dead infusoria and diatoms of many different species. The samples Noa. 11, 9 and 10 were taken, as nearly aa possible, at the spot where the wreck of the '' Princess Alice '' was found. The samples mere taken on an ebb tide. TABULAR STATEMENT of Results of Analyses of Samples of Thames Water taken on the 14th of October, 1878.A l l results expressed in grains per gallon. Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Billingsgate. Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 p.m. Depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Surface Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 deg.Appearance of Sample . . . . . . . . . Turbid h e l l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Slight Buspended Matter-Organic Matter ... 1.24 Total suspended or sedimentary Matter ... 7.36 Yellow * * ' brown Colour of Filtered Water Dissolved Matter-Organic Matter ... 30.40 ... ?? ,, Inorganic ditto 6.12 ... ... ?, ,, Mineral ditto 229.40 >) ,, Total Solid ditto 259.80 ... Chlorine . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 127.98 = Chloride of Sodium . . . . . . . . . 210.90 Anhydrous Sulphuric Acid . . . . . . 16.06 Nitrogen as free and saline ammonia ... Ditto as albuminoid (organic) ammonia ... *0140 *0100 Oxygen absorbed from a standard solu- tion of pernianganate of Potash ... *1700 15 ft. 66i deg, Turbid Slight 3.01 13.33 16.34 Yellow brown 35.80 250.80 286.60 141.64 235.42 17-17 *0260 -0120 n2000 3 4 5 6 Limehouse Reach.Charlton Pier. 3.35 p.m. 4.40 pm. Surface 20 ft. Surface 20 ft. 58 deg. 68 deg. 6 6 i deg. 5 6 i deg. Turbid Turbid Turbid Turbid Slight Slight Objection- Obiection- able 1.26 5-82 7.08 Yellow brown 616.00 476.80 992.80 27 8.35 450.45 32.19 -0440 *0160 1.83 6.98 8.8 1 Yellow brown 134.20 496.00 630 20 273.35 450.46 33.73 00440 -0180 1.58 4.91 6.49 Yellow brown 361.80 647'20 1009~00 366.53 604.01 43-52 ,0740 -0200 *1700 01560 -1600 "able 1-17 6.35 6.52 Yellow brown 154.00 686.00 840.00 388.: 0 640.87 47'13 -0700 90200 '1400THE ANALYST.365 Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 8 Place Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.46 p.m. North Woolwich Pier, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Depth . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . Surface Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 deg. Appearance of Sample . . . . . . . . . Turbid Smell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . objection- Suspended Matter-Organic Matter ... -78 Total suspended or sedimentary Matter ... 6.26 Yellow brown Colour of Filtered Water Dissolved Matter-Organic Matter ... 151.60 Most able 9 9 )) Inorganic ditto ... 6.47 ... $ 9 ,, Mineral ditto ...670.20 9, ,, Total Solid ditto ... 821.80 Chlorine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383.93 =Chloride of Sodium . . . . . . . . . 632.68 Anhydrous Sulphuric Acid . . . . . . 45.36 Nitrogen as free and saline ammonia ... ,0620 Ditto as alburninoid (organic) ammonia ... -0160 Oxygen absorbed from a standard solu- tion of permanganate of Potash ... ,1350 20 ft. 562 deg.Turbid Sulphur- etted hydrogen *a2 6.96 6-78 Yellow brown 211.20 733.20 944.40 413.83 681.95 47.47 a0500 *0180 *1650 11 9 10 12 Wreck at Powder Magazine. 6 p.m. Surface 20 ft. 55+ deg. 66 deg. Turbid Turbid Most Most offensive offensive 1.61 1.06 4.23 4.77 5-84 6.83 Yellow Brown brown yellow 140.40 212.20 723.40 778.60 863930 990.80 419.94 442.32 692.02 728.91 49-19 52.11 -0400 -0600 *0160 .0500 -0850 00850 40 ft.66 deg. Turbid Most offensive 4.90 27-42 32.32 Yellow 125.20 815.20 940.40 452.26 745-29 52-60 -0500 -0240 -2196 6.10 p.m. 6 ft. 68 deg. Very turbid Decomposed sewage 6.98 17.78 24.76 Deep yellow brown 17040 692.40 S62.40 400.08 659.29 28.07 -2000 *0620 -2850 Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 14 15 17 16 Between Northern Southern Out falls. Out Place .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . and Jenningtree Point. Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.20 p.m. 6.30 p.m. 6.40 p.m. Depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Surface Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 deg. Appearance of Sample . . . . . . . . . Turbid Smell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Decomposed ' sewage Suspended Matter-Organic Matter ... 2.41 7 9 ,, Icorganic ditto ... 10.11 Total suspended or sedimentary Matter... Colour of Filtered Water 12.52 Urine * * * yellow ... Dissolved Matter-Organic Matter ... 156.80 I9 ,, Mineral ditto ... 743.00 9 9 ,, Total Solid ditto 899.80 Chlorine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424 93 = Chloride of Sodium . . . . . . . . . 700.24 Anhydrous Sulphuric Acid . . . . . . 60.36 Nitrogen as free and saline ammonia ...*0255 -0070 ... Ditto as albuminoid (organic) ammonia.. , Oxygen absorbed from a standard solu- tion of permanganate of Potash ... 01750 20 ft. 10 ft. Surface 56 deg. 57 deg. 66 deg. Turbid Very turbid Turbid Decomposed sewage excessively offensive strong 5-19 4.70 1.73 24.51 12.23 8.87 29.70 16.93 10.60 Yellow Very deep Yellow urine yellow brown 116.60 116.20 164.00 766.60 687*00 839.80 882.tiO 703.20 1003.80 447'30 342.93 484.67 737.10 665.11 798.52 49.87 40.60 21.20 -0315 *1900 *O(iSO -0070 -1100 -0160 Decomp sed sewage Very *1800 '3659 *1000 20 ft. 5 6 i deg. Turbid Very offensive 6-58 27.59 34-17 Urine yellow 185.00 927 60 1112.60 636.76 884.52 16.05 -1400 .0500 -1600 18 GaS Works Outfall Oct. 19. 3 p.m. Surface Turbid Offensive ... 3.62 9.99 13-61 Yellow 78.40 367.20 445.60 21 1.23 348.07 23.34 '1 200 -0120 01675