Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1872 edition. Excerpt: ...the iron mains of the city of Haverhill aqueduct. Not a trace of lead has been found in the water since the first month after its introduction. If we did not know that we are free from agencies causing local decomposition, we should remove the pipes at once. TIN-LINED LEAD PIPES. To obviate the danger incident to lead pipes, an inventor in New York conceived the idea of lining the interior of such-with tin. These pipes are called " tin-lined lead pipes" They are constructed of a thick outside pipe of lead, while another thin one, of tin, is drawn through the interior and rests in contact with it, forming a lining. This idea is such as would quite naturally suggest itself to any one; and ingenious mechanics or in ventors, unacquainted with the electro-chemical relationship of metals, would seize hold of it as a most important discovery. They would not know that tin by itself is often more readily attacked and dissolved by water than lead, and that, when placed in association with lead, if any water contact is made between the tin and lead, both metals are dissolved with increased rapidity. We have heretofore unreservedly expressed our dissatisfaction with this pipe; and our views are supported by some practical scientific men, whose opinions are certainly worth more than those of a whole army of gentlemen who devote their lives simply to performing illustrative chemical experiments before classes "in colleges. Besides this, we have had opportunity of examining specimens of the pipe which have been used for different periods of time, and have found results which fully confirmed our opinions. In regard to this pipe we do not assert that in every case, or in a majority of cases where it is used, it is positively dangerous. If the pipe is...
