salts held in solution. The presence of the former, for reasons already stated, would forbid the use of wood conducting logs. That hydro-sulphuric acid is formed by the spontaneous decomposition of the sulphates, is shown by the presence of this noxious compound in the water taken from the logs.

3rd. The analysis of number one, from the iron pipe, shows it to be water superior to that of most other cities. Thus an examination of the annexed table will show that it contains less solid matter in the gallon than either the Croton or Cincinnati water, but more than the Fairmount or Long Pond water. In estimating the value of your city water, as compared with the water of other cities, due allowance must be made for the fact that the total solid matter is materially increased by the presence of silica, allumina, and iron, elements that can produce little or no injury; while the chlorides, much the most injurious compounds, are entirely absent. The presence of such large quantities of silica and iron is accounted for by the fact that Lakes Superior and Huron are formed, for the most part, in a basin of ferruginous sandstone and igneous rock. It will also be observed that the carbonate of lime is more abundant in the water collected in February than October. This arises, doubtless, from the change of temperature, the cold water holding much more lime in solution than when warm.

Total Solid Matter.

The purity of water is not simply a matter in which is involved health and convenience in domestic economy; tor, to the manufacturer, where water is used as a solvent, it is exceedingly important that it should be pure. "Brewers often go to an enormous expense in boring deep wells, in order to obtain a supply of soft water, for extracting all soluble matter from the malt and hops they employ. Dyers also bore wells, in order to obtain a supply of soft water, as certain colors cannot be dyed where water, containing the ordinary impurities, comes in contact with the dye-stuffs. Bleachers, again, require pure water; and many other branches of manufacture might be mentioned where pure water is absolutely indispensable."

You have requested me to direct my particular attention to the propriety of using lead service pipe in the conveyance of river water. I approach this subject with great reluctance, for I am well aware of the important bearing it has upon the health of your city, and equally well aware that, at present, there is no little discrepancy of opinion among scientific men as to the circumstances in which lead pipe may be safely used. This disagreement arises, in part, from the difficulty in determining precisely what water does not corrode lead, and, in part, from the evil effects of the lead on the system, so nearly resembling diseases produced by other morbific agents, as not always to be clearly distinguishable from them. Not having made any experiments myself to determine the action of water on lead, except in the case of rain water, I shall be compelled to rely on the experiments and views of others. I have already deprecated the use of lead pipe for the conveyance of rain water. No one will question the impropriety of thus using it. It is said, however, that most spring and river water contains a sufficient quantity of the neutral salts to form an insoluble lining on the inner surface of the pipe, which most effectually protects it from further decomposition. Thus Dr. Christison states that "water containing 1-000 or 1-1200 part of salts, may be safely conveyed in lead pipes, if the salts are chiefly sulphates and carbonates; and that lead pipes cannot be safely used when it contains 1-4000th part of saline matter, if this consists of muriates."

At the request of the Board of Consulting Physicians of the City of Boston, Prof. E. N. Horsford, of Cambridge, in 1849, examined, with great care, the relations of lead to air and water, and gives the following as his conclusions:

"A coat of greater or less permeability forms in all natural waters to which lead is exposed. The first coat is a simple sub-oxide, absolutely insoluble in water, and solutions of salts generally. This becomes converted in some waters into a higher oxide; and this higher oxide, uniting with water and carbonic acid, forms a coat soluble in from 7,000 to 10,000 times its weight of pure water. The above oxide unites with sulphuric and other acids, which sometimes enter into the constitution of the last coat; uniting with organic matter and iron rust, it forms another coat, which is in the highest degree protective,"

Dr. Horatio Adams, in a lengthy and very able report, before the American Medical Association, at its annual meeting, in 1852, deprecates the use of lead pipe for the conveyance of water, under any circumstances. Having shown, both by analysis, and its effects on the system, that lead is present in the Cochituate water drawn through lead pipes, also in the Croton water, the New Orleans water, the Cincinnati and Louisville water, he concludes "That it is never safe to use water drawn through lead pipes, or stored in leaden cisterns, for domestic purposes; and that any article of food or drink is dangerous to health, which, by any possibility, can be impregnated with saturnine matter.” Gmelin, a distinguished German chemist, does not differ from Christison.

On the whole, as it is, at least, doubtful, whether the solid matter contained in any of the varieties of natural water, will effectually protect lead from dissolving, and especially as the water of Detroit river contains less solid matter than either Christison or Gmelin consider necessary for that purpose, I am inclined to discourage the use of lead service pipe, at least until it can be clearly shown that no evil results therefrom. Plock tin service pipe, or lead pipe, lined with tin, would not be liable to the same corrosion. I would, therefore, recommend it as a substitute for the lead pipe.

SELECTIONS.

Norwood, on the Therapeutical Powers of Veratrum Viride.

[Dr. Norwood has placed at our service his pamphlet on Veratrum Viride. As the subject is exciting much attention, we publish the body of it entire, notwithstanding we have given some parts of it before. We hope physicians will test the remedy and report to us their experience with it. It can be had of Higby and Dickinson, Detroit.-ED.]

Veratrum viride, as a therapeutical agent, had excited comparatively little interest previous to June, 1850; and it was noticed for a time after that date, more on account of the extravagance of the claims set up for it as a remedial agent of superior powers, than because of any belief that it was possessed of peculiar and valuable properties. If we recollect correctly, it was about the year 1835 that Dr. Charles Osgood's interesting article on the powers and properties of veratrum viride made its appearance. The only additional information he conveyed was that it is destitute of cathartic powers, which give it a superiority over the Veratrum Album or European Hellebore, in the treatment of cases where active cathartics are inadmissible. Be this as it may, it is certain, and cannot be successfully controverted, that prior to June, 1850, it was not known positively to possess any superiority over veratrum album; indeed the one was supposed to answer the same purposes as the other.

Why Dr. Osgood ceased to give further notice of its powers we are not prepared to say; whether his silence grew out of a want of confidence in its remedial powers, or from death, we are wholly ignorant. We do not wonder at the violent and drastic effects he witnessed; but we rather wonder, from the large doses given, that he obtained any beneficial effects. Be this as it may, if it possesses the powers and properties we attribute to it, and is adapted to the treatment of the symptoms and diseases indicated by us, the discovery must be eminently valuable. Greatly enlarged experience and observation have strongly confirmed us in the belief of the correctness of what we stated on a former occasion, namely, that when its powers and properties are fully known and understood, it will constitute a new era in the treatment of disease.

In July, 1844, we first used it in the case of Mrs. L. She had been laboring under a severe attack of pneumonia typhoides for several days. Calomel, blisters, Dover's powders, &c., failed to afford relief. This case having annoyed us by its severity and obstinacy, and opium producing unpleasant effects without relief to the pain, we deterinined to make a trial of the tincture of veratrum viride. We withdrew all other reme