Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

lawyer, soldier, adjutant-general on Hancock's staff, journalist, teacher, Government statistician, census commissioner, writer on economics, historian and educational administrator. Prof. Davis R. Dewey treats in more detail of General Walker's services in the army, as head of the census bureau, as a political economist, and as president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and discusses particularly President Walker's relations to the monetary questions of the day. The articles are illustrated with portraits of General Walker at different ages.

THE "LIVING AGE" has never needed any "New Features" to commend it to the best class of readers, yet it must be conceded that the additions recently made are real improvements.

Without yielding a particle of its old conservatism, adhering as strictly as ever to its purpose to admit nothing but the choicest selections to its columns, it has shown a wise judgment in entering new fields, thus extending its scope and increasing its usefulness. Late issues of this eclectic have been enriched by many valuable productions, selected not from the British press alone, but embracing translations from leading Continental authorities, including Emilio Castelar in a review of the Spanish-Cuban relations, a paper on de Goncourt, and a discussion of "Political Ideals and Realities in Spain"; Jules Lemaitre on a “Modern Morality"; Alfred Fouille in "As Others See Us," and Anatole le Braz in "All Souls' Eve in Lower Brittany.

The "Monthly Supplement," giving Readings from American Magazines, Readings from New Books, and a List of the Books of the Month, adds a valuable feature which readers will be quick to appreciate, and with the translations from eminent continental authors, on prominent questions of the day, fairly doubles the value of the magazine which, before these additions were made, was well worth the subscription price of $6.00 a year. The Living Age Co., Boston, are the publishers.

"GOOD HEALTH" is in a good deal better health since the beginning of the year, for having dispensed with much surplus tissue. The reduction of its external dimensions is fully compensated by its internal solidarity. It always contains a tempting dietary for the sanitary appetite-excepting oysters, which it holds inexcusable for not running away from man's wicked devices.

"Medical Review" is now "Medical Review of Reviews," an admirable following, in so far as it takes after that "Review of Reviews" conducted by Albert Shaw, necessary to every reader who

would keep abreast with the progress of the world. But we confess to some disappointment at not finding SANITATION among the specially classified subjects of review. Is it because there was nothing of the kind on the editor's table when he made up the January number?

ALBANY MEDICAL ANNALS has clothed itself. It evidently feels better, it looks better and is better. It is a good deal better fed recently, and its company proportionately more enjoyable; and surely it ought to be all this, with the Alumni Association of the Albany Medical College behind it and the Bender Hygienic Laboratory to work in. Thus appointed and euipped, it is no better than it should be-but it is growing.

AMERICAN MEDICO-SURGICAL BULLETIN has been splitting the difference has followed the example of our much esteemed Virginia Medical Semi-Monthly, which reached the same grade from an opposite direction some time ago. And here, by the way, be it remarked, the VIRGINIA MEDICAL SEMI-MONTHLY contains a larger proportion of original contributions than any exchange that comes to our table. And the "Semi-Monthly American MedicoSurgical Bulletin," the best excerpt. Its new editor is an admirable skimmer-he knows good cream and gives it.

THE AMERICAN MONTHLY MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL has changed its dress for the better. Its biological embellishment is beautifully significant of its researches and ever broadening field of view and its always entertaining revelations.

E. B. Treat, Publisher, New York, has in press, and nearly ready for issue, the INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL ANNUAL for 1897, being the fifteenth yearly issue of that well-known one-volume reference work. The prospectus shows that the volume will be the result of the labors of upwards of forty physicians and surgeons, of international reputation, and will present the world's progress in medical science.

The value of the work will be greatly enhanced by the thoroughness of illustration, both colored plates and photographic reproductions in black and white will be used wherever helpful in elucidating the text.

"To those who need the condensed and well-arranged prepresentation of the medical advances of the past year-and this class must necessarily include all physicians-we heartily commend the 'International Medical Annual.""

The volume will contain about 700 pages. The price will be the same as heretofore, $2.75. Full descriptive circular will be sent upon application to the publisher.

THE TENNESSEE EXPOSITION.

The Tennessee Exposition at Nashville, to be opened May 1, promises to be not only national, but international, for it is already receiving recognition from many of the leading cities and from more than thirty States and also from various foreign countries.

The directors and managers of the enterprise are leading business men and the foremost women of Tennessee. They have been chosen without regard to political affiliations, and solely on account of their patriotic character and peculiar fitness for directing the welfare of the exposition.

The government of the United States, by special act of Congress, has appropriated $130,000 to be spent in the construction of a suitable government building and to defray the expenses of a government exhibit.

Governor Morton, by special authority from the legislature to do so, appointed a commission, to serve without compensation, to represent the State of New York at this exposition. The members of that commission, in their inquiry as to the purpose and scope of the centennial, have ascertained that the people of Tennessee have generously subscribed toward the exposition, and with that support its success is guaranteed.

New York is worthily recognized as the Empire State of the Union; enjoying that great distinction, she cannot afford to be outstripped by any sister State in patriotic endeavor, or in competitive display of natural resources and industrial progress.

For the benefit of exhibitors who may not find it convenient to accompany and give personal attention to their exhibits, especial arrangements have been made by the formation of a company which guarantees to take all such exhibits in charge, and to give them the same watchful superintendence as they would have if their owners were present.

The secretary to the New York Commission has been furnished by the authorities of the exposition with abundant literature explaining the aims, objects, plan and scope of the exposition. He will be glad to furnish this literature on application, or to call in person upon anyone sufficiently interested in the subject to desire furNashville, Tenn.

On this same line all persons who may be thinking of making an exhibit at the exposition are advised to correspond immediately and directly with the Director-General, Major E. C. Lewis, at Nashville, Tenn.

In conclusion we respectfully urge upon all the people of New York to interest themselves in this useful and patriotic enterprise and to lend it their substantial support.

JOHN C. EAMES, Pres't, New York,

(The H. B. Claflin Co.).

ALGAR M. WHEELER, Secretary.

Gilsey House, New York.

THE SANITARIAN.

APRIL, 1897.

NUMBER 329.

AN IMPROVED METHOD OF FILTRATION.*

By FRANK H. MASON, Consul-General, Frankfort.

There is now in operation at the city of Worms, in this district, as well as at Kiel, Winterthur, Frankenhausen, Landsberg (near Berlin), and several other places in Germany an improved system of filtration for water, which should have an important interest for the numerous municipalities in the United States that are struggling with the problem of purifying river water on a large scale for household and manufacturing purposes.

Hitherto, the method most generally employed has been that of filtering through sand or gravel, and, for this purpose, a layer 30 to 40 inches thick of clean sand, mixed in some cases with charcoal, has been used. The sand, being loose and nonadhesive, lies, of course, at the bottom of the tank, and in this form entails two important economic disadvantages-first, the area of space required is large in proportion to the amount of water to be treated, and, second, all sediment in the water settles upon the sand which forms the bottom of the filter, and which soon becomes gorged and clogged so that the filter must be thrown out of use while it can be cleaned by mechanical means.

The new system, which the present report will briefly describe, is the invention of Director Fischer, for many years past waterworks engineer of the city of Worms, where the use of Rhine water for general purposes presented the same problem that confronts cities like Cincinnati, St. Louis, Cairo, and others which derive. their water supply from the often turbid rivers of the Mississippi Valley. The germ, or fundamental idea, upon which the new system is based is the fact that clean, sharp sand, when mixed in due

*Report to Department of State.

proportion with finely pulverized glass, which may be derived from the waste of glass works, old bottles, etc., forms a porous mass, which, by baking under a high temperature, may be hardened in any desired form. The inventor in this case hit upon the plan of molding this porous cement into hollow plates or plaques about 40 inches square and 8 inches thick, that is, with walls 3 inches in thickness and about 2 inches of hollow space at the center of the plaque.

In constructing the filtering plant, these plates are set upright in groups or batteries of any number, according to the desired size and capacity of the establishment, and are ranged along the lower portion of one or more tanks of hydraulic masonry, where they can be covered to a depth of 3 or 4 feet with the water to be filtered. The water is then forced by its own pressure through the porous walls of the plate into the interior hollow space, where it trickles down and is drawn off through pipes, laid at the bottom of the tank, to the reservoir which receives the filtered water. These discharge pipes are rigged with cocks so that each plate and group of plates may be isolated for cleaning or other purposes while the adjacent batteries are in operation. For greater economy of space and tubing, two tiers of plates are set, one above another, as shown in the accompanying drawing, which gives a front and edge view of two pairs of plates, set in the usual manner, whereby both tiers are served by one set of discharge pipes. The water, in passing through the 3-inch walls of vitrified sand, is filtered as perfectly as by traversing 3 feet of loose sand or gravel in the ordinary sand-filtering

process. The plates, being set upright and close to each other, increase from eight to ten fold the filtering surface that may be condensed within any given superficial area, thus securing an important economy of space within frost-proof constructions, and where, as is often the case, land is costly and difficult to obtain.

Nor is this the only, or even the principal, advantage of the new system. Every practical waterworks engineer knows the delays, labor, and expense

[graphic]
« ForrigeFortsett »