New-York daily tribune., 1859-05-21
THE Use OF LEAD SERVICE PIPES
FOR WATER

FOR WAIER.
On introducing the new supplies OF water into
Brooklyn, the same question has there been agtated
which has perpexed the citizens of most other
places under similar circumstances viz, what is the
proper material for the service pipes for supplying
houses from the from pipes of the streets Mr.. j.
L. Kirkwood, the engineer, gave his attention
at an early period to this subject and finding the in.
formation requisite for forming decided opinion
scattered through multitude of reports and other
works, he undertook the task of collecting these and
selecting and condensing the most important state.
ments of facts and opinions. These data, with but
few comments of his own, which he introduces in the
preface he has presented in octave volume Of $40
pages entitled " Collection of Reports tcondensed)
and Opinions of Chemists, in regard to the use Of
Lead Pipe for Service Pipe" The work is a valua-
bic one for reference, being the only collection Of
this kind; and it is evidently made without bias ot
theory the part of the compiler. The authorities
consulted and quoted the most eminent who have
investigated this subject, both in Europe and the
United States. Christison Posons Tanguerel
Lead Diseases, translated by DIR. Samuel L. Dana, Of
Lowell, numerous reports of Boards of Health, Wa
ter Commissioners, and Chemists of Great Britain
and of cities have furnished the material Tor
this work. Particular attention is devoted Ia the
ports upon the water of Loeb Katrine, introduced
into Glasgow. This, in its remarkable purity and
softness. much resembles the Nassau or BROOKLYN
water; and as the most distinguished chemists Of
Glasgow and Edinburgh, as Dr. Penny of the former
place, and DIR. Geo. Wilson of the latter had ex-
pressed decided apprehension of the injury 10 health
which might result from its use if delivered through
lead pipes, it was matter of Importance To present
the opinions of other chemists also, who entertained
no such fears. The elaborate reports of the high
chemical authorities sustained by carefuy-perormed
experiments and brought into uxtapositiou, present
a curious contrarety of opinion, and leave great
y bewildered a. to the conclusion he should adopt.
Nor, on turning to American authorities, does one
find greater harmony of opinion positive know-
edge upon the subject Prof Horsford, Of Harvard
University maintains that water, in passing through
iron pipes, is deprived by the iron Of the oxygen
which might act upon lead, and lead pipes conse-
quenty may be used without fear to take water from
iron pipes; while Prof. B. Sillman r., Of Yale Col
lege, confidently states the important fact that the
passage of water through iron pipes prepares it
4" for a more speedy and certain action lead.' In
such differences of opinions the engineer Of the water
works naturally hesitates which to recommend, and
modestly remarks, " that il does not become nom
q" professional observerto pronounce positively either
way" This, however, hejudges, may be conceded
from the testimony before u.s. that the uninterrupted
flow of water through the lead pipes of q house to
immediate USE could not affect it inuriousy what
ever the character of the water. On the other
hand, should the water stand long in the pipes
without change, should water be passed through
lead pipes which have been some time empty it
may become sufficiently tainted to affect ipjuriousy
certain constitutions" BY drawing off as mucI.
water from the pipes could have stood in them,
and rejecting this each time the water is required for
use, after the pipes have stood unemployed for
time il is believed that risk of injury from the lead
may be all but entirely avoided. This is the only
precauton recomme ended and lead service pipe will
doubt be freely used in Brooklyn, as it has beeu
in most other cities Hartford alone is an exception
iron pipes, coated with zinc, having been adopted
there on the recommendation Of the Water Commis-
sioners and used almost exclusively since the intro
duction OF water into that city, DIR. Muspra;t in his
work practical chemistry, now in course OF publi-
cation presents what may be considered the opinons
best entitled to confidence, for the reason chiefly,
that they the latest arrived at in view Of the
rious discrepancies and dsproved theories Of older
observers. All the compounds Of lead, he observes,
except one or two Of the most insolube, are known
to have very active poisonous properties; and
are frequent and well known TO medical practitioners
in every large town, Of individual suffering from the
frst stages of slow poisoning thus induced. The
is almost invariably found to be the water
ployed for domestic purposes, the heightened use Of
which causes depression of spirits emacation and
finally collie and paralysis. II often happens that
ter are prevented from acting upon lead TO produce
soluble salts by the presence OF the foregnsubstances
they contain. Such substances the sulphstes.
pho-phates and carbonates of the akalies, and the
sulphaes and carbonates Of the alkaline esrths. Any
neutral salt indeed the acid of which is capable Of
combining with lead its OXIDE and Of constituting
an insolube compound, may thus serve as protec-
tion against the formation Of poisonous compounds Of
lead. The salts of lime, which render water hard,
and are discovered when deposited in the form OF
crust upon the inside of the kettle used for boiling
them, are of this character, and so small aquanty
Of suphate of phosphate as three or four grains
iD gallon, viii prevent the s9gyQsiou Of lssa' As'