impregnated; these matters are, therefore, poisonous."

(What must the water be into which the common sewers of upwards of a million of human beings pour their filth daily?)

Dr. Ure." It cannot but be an interesting object to ascertain the component parts and qualities of the water daily consumed by the inhabitants of large cities. A very minute portion of unwholesome water, daily taken, may constitute the principal cause of the differences in salubrity which are observable in different places."

Mr. Abernethy." Diseases have been excited by water, and therefore it is necessary that whatever is used should be as pure as possible."

Sir Henry Halford and Lord Wharncliffe. -"A constant supply of pure and wholesome water is essential to the health and comfort of the inhabitants of this great and thickly-peopled metropolis.'

I trust the above witnesses will be held sufficient to establish my first proposition; and I now, therefore, proceed to my second, in order to fasten these evils upon the right shoulders, to wit, the water monopolists of London.

Dr. James Johnson.-Question-" Have you, in your practice, met with any injurious effects from the use of Thames water?"

Answer "Yes; I was informed by Mr. Ibell, Waterloo-place, who has a great many young women employed in the millinery business, that several of the young people have been repeatedly affected with bowel complaints; but that if they went out of town a few days, and drank other water, the complaint subsided, but often returned again on their again drinking this water. I am the medical attendant on this establishment."

Mr. William Ibell.-" Have you reason to think that the health of any of your family has been injured by the use of this water? Most assuredly. In what way? Rather progressively. I employ a number of females in my business, who are from the country, and they are frequently affected, and also my family in general; they appear at first pallid, and then headache comes on, and they become affected in their bowels; I have had seven or eight at a time thus affected; when it has been so for two or three days, I then change the water to pump water, and in less than three days the effect is gone. It was the same when I resided in the city, and there it was I first discovered the cause to be in the water; and at that time I used the New River water. So that the same proportion of effect was produced from the use of the New River water, as from the use of the Thames water? Yes, nearly so; but the water of the New River is not so full of fibres as that of the Thames,

Sir John Hall." Have you any observa. tion to make on the state of the water?" (St. Katharine's Docks.)

"I came to the docks, and found the water very impure, and could not use it: the clothes that were washed in it were dyed, and made of a bad colour."

"Can you use it for culinary purposes?" "No; not without filtering.'

Dr. Paris." My opinion, as a physician, is, that the water (Thames water) is injurious to health. I visited a family who were all ill, in the autumn, and I believe their illness arose from drinking the water on coming to town; they changed the water, and drank other water, and got well." * * * "As a physician, who has devoted much attention to the subject, I cannot find terms sufficiently expressive of the awful effects it may be likely to produce upon the health, and even lives of the inhabitants."

Dr. Yeates." I should say of this water, that it is not wholesome: I mean the ob. servation to apply to any Thames water in and about London."

Dr. W. Somerville.-" It seems to me that the question of the purity of the water has been placed on a very erroneous footing by many, who say that there is no ingredient in the water in London to produce disease: this reasoning would equally apply to water taken from the pan of a water-closet."

Dr. Hooper." The daily use of impure water (speaking of the water supplied by one of the Companies) has a tendency to produce or is the cause of many diseases, and it is a question of much importance whether such matters in the stomach do not greatly contribute to the production of that state of faulty digestion and impurity of blood, of which the inhabitants of this and other large cities are constantly complaining."

Mr. Keate.-"By the aid of filtering machines, and a steam kitchen, I endeavour to avert from my family the mischiefs and dangers which I should otherwise apprehend from the use of the sad compound (Thames water) which is laid into my house."

The Medico-Chirurgical Review, vol. iv. p. 207.-"A time must come when the people of London will open their eyes to this scene of corruption, veiled and concealed as it is by iron tubes and stone pavements. We are not among the idolaters of the ancients; but we do admire the delicacy of their taste, in expending so much labour and wealth in commanding abundant supplies of pure and salubrious water for the Everlasting City.""

Mr. William Clapp.—“ All sorts of impurities are found in the Thames water; in my opinion as a professional man, the water

We

The Royal Commissioners, Dr. Roget, W. T. Brande, and Thomas Telford."We have endeavoured to gain information from various sources, respecting the state and purity of the Thames water, and its general fitness for domestic use; and from such inquiries it appears proved to us, that the quality of the water within certain limits, included in what may be called the London district, has suffered a gradual deterioration within the last ten or twelve years. found this opinion upon the well-ascertained fact of the disappearance of fish from those parts of the river, to such an extent as to have led to the almost entire destruction of the fisherman's trade between Putney Bridge and Greenwich; and upon the circumstance that the eels imported from Holland can now with great difficulty be kept alive in those parts of the Thames where they were formerly preserved in perfect health. We also learn that the fishmongers in London find it impossible to preserve live fish for any length of time in water from the same district."

Dr. Bostock.-"It appears that the water of the Thames, as it approaches the metropolis, becomes loaded with a quantity of filth which renders it disgusting to the senses, and improper to be employed in the preparation of food." * * * "Two bottles were sent to me for inspection, one containing the water of the Thames, the other containing water taken from the same source after having been filtered: the former exhibited the usual appearance, while the latter was perfectly free from visible impurities, and had lost all unpleasant flavour or odour. I think, therefore, we may conclude that the process of filtration, if properly conducted, would be in all respects unexceptionable, provided a sufficient quantity of water could be procured by this means for the supply of the metropolis."

Surely it is unnecessary to crowd your columns with additional proofs of my second position, hence I shall not make extracts from the evidence of Dr. Brodie, Dr. Turner, Dr. Hume, Dr. Macmichael, Dr. Bree, Mr. Thomas, the President of the College of Surgeons, &c. I have struck out many unnecessary words in the extracts I have given, in order to save the space of your Journal, and the time of your readers. I therefore conclude with the following, not impertinent inquiry: Why is it that in the increasing mortality which the recent weekly bills exhibit, the remedy Dr. Bostock suggests, and which it was stated in the House of Lords, could be at once supplied, is not

These improvements comprise, first, an improved method of reversing, and varying or altering the cut off of the steam, by varying the position or inclination of one eccentric rod to each cylinder of locomotive, stationary, and marine steam-engines; second, an improved method of altering the lead of admission, by giving various inclinations to the valve-rods of locomotive, stationary, and marine steam-engines; third, an improved method of cutting off and of varying the lead of admission, (without increasing or diminishing the traverse of the slide-valve,) by varying the inclinations of the eccentric rods of locomotive steam-engines; fourth, a method of diminishing the friction of the slidevalves of locomotive, stationary, and marine steam-engines, by the application of improved pistons to such slide-valves; fifth, an improved method of regulating or altering the admission of steam, in its passage from the slide-valve box to the inside of the cylinder of locomotive, stationary, and marine steam-engines, independent of the action of the slide-valves; sixth, an improved method of using steam expansively in locomotive steam-engines, by increasing the size of the cylinder, and applying a regulator, or throttle-valve, to each cylinder; seventh, a method of lowering the centre of gravity of locomotive steam-engines, by improved arrangements and combinations of the various parts; eighth, an improved method of constructing the tubular boilers of locomotive steam-engines, by lowering the position of the tubes, and applying a bridge across the fire-box; ninth, the application to locomotive steam-engines and railway carriages of cylindrical wheels, with outside flanches fitted to axles which will allow each wheel to run independent of the other; tenth, the affording additional security to locomotive steam-engines, by the addition thereto of extra (safety) wheels or sledges; eleventh, the application to railway carriages of springs

formed by levers acting upon and twisting bars or tubes of steel; twelfth, the application to railway carriages and locomotive steam-engines of wheels with felloes of wood, papier machée, or other suitable material, tightened by a bevelled ring or circular wedge; thirteen, the application to railway carriages and locomotive steam-engines of wheels formed with wooden felloes, simultaneously compressed by being forced through a conical ring, or by means of an improved arrangement of screws or hydraulic presses. The details of each of these several improvements are very minutely described, and illustrated by numerous drawings.

Claim. "We claim the several improvements enumerated and described, and their use, either separately or when combined with each other; but we make no claim to such old and well-known means as may have been incidentally mentioned or referred to." The "old and well-known means "" ought to have been particularly distinguished from the new, that the public might know what they are at liberty to use without the license of the patentees, and what not.

ALEXANDER ROUSSEAU, OF THE STRAND, MANUFACTURER, for certain improvements in fire-arms. (A communication from a foreigner residing abroad.) February 15, 1842.

Every time the gun is cocked, the action of cocking brings round on the nipple a detonating cap, ready for the hammer to strike upon.

A good idea, and well carried out.

JOHN BIRKBY, OF UPPER RAWFIELDS, CARD MANUFACTURER, for improvements in the manufacture of wire cards. February 25, 1842.

Of these "improvements," one consists in passing the teeth through a thin metal plate attached to the face of the back of the card, and thereby keeping them more regularly apart; a second, in making the backs of paper or pasteboard; and a third, in making the wires stronger, by making them longer, but bent into a zig-zag or spiral form in the stem, or at the crown.

The object of all the recent improvements in cards has been, to make them as pliable as possible; and hence the introduction of caoutchouc backs, which has been the subject of so much expensive litigation. The first and second of the present improvements are improvements in a retrograde direction; the third presents the likelihood of considerable utility.

BENJAMIN GILLOTT, OF GREAT SAFFRON-HILL, CUTLER, for improvements in heating and ventilating. February 26, 1842.

If the heated air is required to be suitable for respiration, it is to be forced through a

reservoir of water; if otherwise, through a chamber filled with hot metal plates. The forcing apparatus, in both cases, is a fanner of the ordinary construction.

An open vessel of water placed on the top of a close stove, or in an apartment heated by pipes, will produce the requisite moisture, in a much more effectual manner than that now proposed. For the obtaining of dry hot air, the hot metal plate apparatus is an evident superfluity.

WILLIAM HANCOCK, JUN., OF AMWELLSTREET, for certain improvements in combs and brushes. March 21, 1842.

The "improvements in combs" relate to that class of combs which are employed in grooming horses, commonly called currycombs, and consist in making the backs or stocks thereof flexible, instead of stiff, and unyielding as heretofore. This is effected by taking a piece of wire card (such as is used for carding machines) of the required shape, and doing over the back of it with two or three coats of a solution of caoutchouc, or any other strong flexible cement, (but preferring the former) and when it is in a sticky state, laying on a piece of leather, or felt, or thin veneer of wood, (to the underside of which has been given a coating of the same solution, and while that coating is also in a sticky state,) and pressing the whole together. When the cement has settled and the junction of the parts of which the back is thus composed is complete, there is inserted, for greater security, a number of small pins all round the edges, or the edges are sewn together with wire or strong thread.

The "improvements in brushes" are of two sorts, one relating to those descriptions of brushes which are chiefly employed in what may be termed dry brushing, as hair brushes, clothes brushes, horse brushes, machine brushes, &c., and the other relating to brushes employed for painting, colouring, varnishing, white-washing, plastering and other like purposes.

With respect to the class of brushes chiefly employed in dry brushing, the improvements consist principally in making the backs like those of the currycombs, flexible, instead of stiff, and unyielding as heretofore, or in making the brushes of a circular or other curvilineal form by fixing the bristles, or hairs in a flexible back, formed in manner after mentioned, and then attaching that flexible back to a solid back, made of the particular curvilineal form desired. When the whole of the back is to be made permanently flexible, the mode of proceeding is the same generally as that before specified with respect to the flexible backs for currycombs; only that in the case of hair and

other brushes, to which it is desirable to give as much springiness as possible, a thin piece of metal, or whalebone, or horn, is inserted between the under and top pieces of the back, or the top piece is made to diminish gradually in thickness from the handle to the outer extremity. In making brushes of a circular, or other curvilineal form, the solid back may be either of wood, or metal, or any other sufficiently strong substance. If the brush is of the sort called a wheel brush, the solid disk should have a groove cut out all round its periphery for the reception of the flexible back, which may be composed of leather, canvass, felt, or other firm but yielding substance, and have the bristles, or hairs attached to it, by the usual method of drawing; or if it is a cylindrical brush, the solid cylinder should have a spiral groove cut out on its external surface, with such distances between the threads, that when the flexible belt of bristles or hairs is wound round it, the whole surface of the cylinder may be equally covered with the bristles or hairs. And in every case, whether the brush is of the wheel or cylindrical, or any other curvilineal form, the patentee recommends, that grooves should be made in the solid back for the reception of the flexible back, as being a more secure mode than any other of connecting the two together. The flexible back may be secured in the grooves, either by any suitable cement, or by nails or pins, or screws. It is sometimes of importance to be able to expand brushes, or parts of brushes when inserted in particular situations, as boilers, flues, cannon, &c.; and under circumstances which cannot be met by any determinate form, or any degree of flexibility which can be previously given to the brushes; and to provide for such cases, Mr. Hancock attaches to the under piece of the back of a flexible backed brush, or to the part or parts of the back requiring to be occasionally expanded, a piece, or pieces of sheet caoutchouc, or of cotton varnished with a solution of caoutchouc, by uniting the edges of such piece or pieces to the back, in such manner, that the included space, or spaces, shall be air-tight, (at least sufficiently so for practical purposes,) and then connects the included space or spaces, with a tube or tubes, leading to a screw-plug, in the handle of the brush, by opening and introducing air through which the brush can be inflated, either wholly, or in parts only, according to the arrangements made for the purpose. Where there are two or more parts of the brush having such distinct tubular communications with the screwplug in the handle, there must, of course, be separate stop-cocks to each. Other brushes there are, which have habitually, or occasion

ally to be used in water, as bath brushes, hatters' brushes, &c., and to protect these from being loosened by the water, the patentee attaches to the under side of the flexible backs, before drawing the hairs, or bristles, a piece of India-rubber waterproof cloth, and that by means of a solution of caoutchouc, or any other efficient cement. It sometimes happens that the flexure re quired to be given to a brush when using it, is in a direction opposite to that which results from pressing the face of a flexible backed brush against any other body, that is to say, inwards, instead of outwards, and when a brush of this sort is required, the patentee constructs it in the following manner: To the two ends of a solid and slightly arched back of wood, or other sufficiently strong substance, he attaches a second back, which is flexible, and has the bristles, or hairs fixed in it, (exactly after the manner of the cord of a bow,) so that when the face of the brush is pressed against anything, the yielding takes place upwards, or outwards towards the solid arched back of wood.

The specification of the improvements in that class of brushes which are employed for painting, colouring, varnishing, white-washing, plastering, and other like purposes, is introduced by the observation, that brushes most commonly used for these purposes, (the plastering excepted,) are made of a round form, and with wooden handles, round which the hairs or bristles are secured by string; and that, in consequence of the liability of the wood to contract and expand, according to the degrees of heat and moisture to which it is exposed, the hairs or bristles become frequently loose and drop out, and brushes which in a cold or temperate climate are perfectly tight and sound, fall to pieces when exported to hot and warm climates. The improvements, therefore, consist in so constructing all such brushes, that the handle and brush shall remain firmly fastened together under all variations of temperature, and whether exposed or not exposed to wet and damp, that is to say, in so far as such fastening depends on the mechanical construction of the articles. With this view, the patentee constructs his brush, (a capital article,) as follows. He inserts the knot of hairs or bristles, of which the brush is to be formed, into a round socket of tin, and then passes a taper ferule, also of tin, down the centre of the knot of hairs or bristles, and through an orifice in the centre of the socket, taking care so to proportion the quantity of hairs or bristles in the knot to the dimensions of the socket and ferule, that when the ferule has been pressed down as far as it will go, the ends of the surrounding hairs or bristles will be so firmly compressed

between the socket and ferule, as to require no farther fastening. A taper handle, which may be either of wood or metal, fits into the ferule, and can be detached from the brush when not in use. The socket and ferule should be externally soldered together at the orifice in the socket; and for the sake of greater security in the case of brushes of a large diameter, the ends of the hairs or bristles, besides being compressed laterally between the ferule and socket, may also be imbedded or set in pitch, or other suitable cement, according to the ordinary pan method of construction.

NOTES AND NOTICES.

Iron Vessels.-There are now in the iron shipbuilding-yard of Mr. John Laird, of North Birkenhead, two vessels of rather singular construction. The first vessel is intended for a floating-light for the entrance of the Mersey. It is much longer than the present light-ships, and is expected to have less motion, even in a rough sea, than the short wood vessels now in use. It will be ready for sea in about two months. The second vessel is building for the Hon. the East India Company; it is intended for a pilot-boat in the Hooghly. Unlike our pilot-boats, which are small, it is of 200 tons burden, and of more than ordinary breadth of beam. Its interior is to be completely finished in Liverpool. In the hold will be large tanks for holding water with which, it appears, the pilot-boats on the Calcutta station always go to sea, that, in the event of falling in with ships short of water, they may supply them with so indispensable an article. The cabin will be a spacious apartment, lofty and well ventilated, with berths all round for the pilots. We need scarcely add, after the heading of this paragraph, that, except the decks and the cabins, these vessels are wholly built of iron. They are well worth the inspection of all who take an interest in naval architecture.-Liverpool Albion.

Blasting by Galvanism.-The following is an extract from the letter of a Dunbar correspondent of the Edinburgh Evening Courant, dated September 19." Mr. Lyon, of Glasgow, the contractor for the new harbour here, has lately introduced that wonderful agent, the galvanic battery, to aid him in his extensive blasting operations. Several explosions of considerable magnitude have recently taken place. The largest contained 60 lbs. of powder, distributed in five bores of great depth. The bores were placed so as mutually to assist each other, and the conducting wires so arranged, that the whole five were fired simultaneously by one battery. It was expected that by this method the effect would be much greater than exploding the shots singly, and the almost incredible quantity of rock thrown down showed the correctness of the anticipation. In another instance, in order to throw down a part of the celebrated Castle of Dunbar, three bores (15 feet in depth) were run obliquely into the rock below the foundation. They were exploded together, and lifted from its bed, in one unbroken and compact mass, a body of masonry weighing not less than 150 tons. These experiments have been conducted by Mr. Robert Thomson, a young engineer in Mr. Lyon's employment."

Caoutchouc Canvass.-M. Vallé, a colour-maker, observing the injury caused to the works of some of the greatest masters by the influence of the atmosphere upon the canvass, has invented a solution(said to be of caoutchouc) which, although applied to both sides of the canvass, leaves it sufficiently elastic to prevent cracking, and secures it against the action

of the atmosphere. To this he adds a peculiar kind of varnish for the painting, which is said to defy the ravages of time.

Miniature Padlock.-Messrs. Chubb and Son have just completed a most extraordinary piece of minute workmanship. It consists of an extremely small detector padlock made of gold, and weighing only 17 grains, but containing all the ordinary mechanism, and even the detecting apparatus of a complete lock. This miniature specimen of the locksmith's art is set in a ring not larger than those in ordinary use, and the proportions are so minute that, except upon close inspection, the skill which has been expended upon it would escape observation. The Times observes of this prodigy of art, "it seems only a subject of regret that so much ingenuity should have been expended in producing a perfectly useless toy." In the justice of this remark we entirely concur.

Tunneling.-The tunnel on the line of the Sheffield and Manchester Railway will be three miles in length, upwards of 600 feet below the surface or summit of the hill at its greatest height, and in rock formation throughout its entire length. The works were projected and commenced upwards of two years ago, under the direction of Charles Vignoles, Esq. Five shafts were opened, at about half a mile distant from each other, for the purpose of proving the formation, of facilitating the driving of the drift-ways, and ultimately, of ventilating the tunnel. Whilst these were in progress, the driftways were carried on from each side, or face, of the mountain; the distance, or length, driven, on the eastern side, extending to nearly 1,000 yards, and from the next shaft 180 yards. The junction between these two portions of the drift-way was effected on the 17th Sept., and the levels, when checked, on a tie-bench, at the point of meeting, had varied but nine decimals, or one inch nearly, and the range was within less than two inches of being geometrically true. When it is considered that this has been attained whilst driving upwards of half a mile through hard rock formation, it must be admitted to be highly creditable to the parties engaged in directing it.-Dub. Even. Post.

French Steamers.-The Railway Moniteur gives the following list of steamers now building for the French government. ENGINEER.

NAME.

PORT. Cherbourgh Ditto

M. Cavé of Paris.