Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-02-03
Pure Water.

IT is certainly remarkable that, in our
advanced condition of civilization, not
withstanding the scientific progress we
have made, such question as whether
pure water or impure air is best for us,
should arise. 1t is not by any means an
axiom that Nature dictates what is best
and most wholesome for us As a rule,
we relish and enjoy most those things
which are unwholesome, and that which
applies to our food is equally true in res
pect to our drink. For drinking purposes
we like water to be cool, bright and spark
ling. Popularity, It is admitted priOri
(frOm the cause to the effect), that the pure
water is the better but it is reasoned a
posteriOri (from the effect to the cause),
that sparkling, bright, and cold water is
necessarily pure. 1t happens, however,
that the exquisite GOODNESS of some water
is due to the salts contained in solution
from which also the beautiful crystal like
brightness is derived, while the sparkling
etfervescence results from the liberation of
gases held in solution. Such water de-
lights the eye and pleases the palate, espe-
cially on hot summers day; it is par er-
cetlence hard, and if the truth be told, is
often nothing else than filtered sewerage
in which the qualities so highly appreci-
ated are impaired by nitrate of ammonia
and other salts, out of decomposing or
ganic materials
Again, carboniferous waters are highly
priced as palatable, cool, and sparkling,
and although a little carbonate of lime,
probably, may not do much harm to most
people, yet excess of calcic salts might be
disagreeable to some patients. All min
eral waters occasionally set up febrile dis
turbance in subjects of the gouty diathe-
sis. SO much for prejudice, which is, as
the childs prejudice in favor of jam, rel
atiVe question of nasty and nice. If we con
slider what constitutes hardness, we see that
pure water must of necessity be soft for
the harder the water the greater is the
amount OF saline material contained in it,
Pure water is very rare thing; the near
est approach to it is rain-water, collected
in perfectly clean vessels in the open
country after continued rains have cleansed
the atmosphere. The purest water deriva-
BILE from any natural reservoir is that of
Lock katrine, in Scotland, the solid mat
ter contained in gallon of which is only
one grain. Many waters in common use,
however, contain considerable quantities of
solid matter. In considering the purity of
water as affecting the death rate, we must
not omit to mention organic impurities,
which, though often inappreciable as re-
CARDS the condition of hardness, have but
too frequently carried death into the cup,
and that too, through germs which have
baffied detection.
The ordinary method by which the
hardness of water is tested is based upon
the fact that soap readily decomposes the
salts of the alkaline earths which form
insoluble compounds with the fatty acids,
and the common experiment is performed
with standard alcoholic solution of soap,
a measured quantity of which is mixed
with standard measure of the water; if
no curdling takes place on shaking the
mixture, but froth instantly obtained,
the water is soft; if, on the other hand,
the soap solution is curled or broken, the
water is said to be hard, and second
quantity of the standard solution is added,
or third, or more, until froth can be
obtained on shaking the mixture, and ac-
cording to the number of measures of
standard solution used, so is the calcula-
ton of the degree of hardness of the water
made.-GO0d Health