It  draws  its  supply  from  the  neighbouring  churchyards,  and  it  used  to  be  humo^
ously  said  the  water  was  greatly  Bked  because  it  had  so  much  body  in  it. It  is  tbs
most  false  philosophy  in  the  world  to  say  that  because  the  condition  of  the  water
is  peculiarly  good  in  one  town  the  circumstance  will  account  for  a  diminuti<m  in
the  death-rates. All  the  details  we  haye  had  about  the  spread  of  cholera  are
yaluable,  but  to  connect  it  with  the  state  of  the  water  supply  is  generalising  much
too  fast. There  can  be  no  question  about  this — ^that  the  only  source  of  supply  oa
which  we  can  safely  rely  is  our  rivers. Wells  must  be  abandoned. Springs  are
scarce,  and  when  they  are  found  the  water  is  frequently  bad. Therefore  we  hais
to  resort  of  necessity  to  our  riyers. When  we  remember  the  yast  ohemistiy  <rf
nature  which  b  gomjpj  on  in  these  riyers,  and  that  when  they  flow  oyer  a  gwit
extent  of  ground  the  impurities  are  burnt  out  by  the  action  of  the  oxygen,  we  mia»
admit  that  we  haye  in  these  great  reseryoirs  water  which  may  be  mada  of  tbs
purest  character. Take  the  case  of  the  Tame,  which  is  a  large  riyer ;  it  may  be  yew
much  polluted,  but  you  can  cut  off  those  poUutions. Besides,  you  may  g4  out  of
It  all  the  matter  which  is  held  in  suspension,  and  by  a  proper  syBtem  of  aaratioa
you  may  get  the  deleterious  matter  in  solution  burnt  out  1^  the  effeotiTe  ohemistzt
k  of  nature. And  I  therefore  quite  agree  with  Mr,  A^dfnrmi  Wiggin  that  the  bii


Heater  Supply. 501

supply  of  water  for  Birmingham  is  to  be  obtained  from  the  riyer  Tame. In
regard  to  boring  the  red  sandstone,  I  know  you  neyer  can  get  security  against
contamination. I  am  certain  that  all  experience  shows  that  a  riyer  is  the  only
source  of  a  proper  supply  of  water. And  next  comes  the  question  of  filtration*
Of  course  if  you  wish  to  haye  your  water  extremely  bright,  you  can  put  the  last
polish  upon  it. Brightness  and  clearness,  howeyer,  do  not  constitute  an  infallible
test  of  purity,

Mr. Bawlinson,  C.B.,  said:  I  know  something  about  the  water  supply  of
Birmingham,  and  haye  done  so  for  the  last  twenty  years. 