The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1877-02-10
The Water Works Disease.

purposes, has alarmed the defenders OF the |
and an effort is made in their
organ, this morning, to expain away the
danger and encourage disease by its use.
The diarrhea organ says:
At special meeting of the city council held |
January p, a special committee was appointed,
of the regular Water Works committee,
and Drs, Iruesdale, Gait and Plummer, to asCer- |
tain whether the epidemic diarrhga was caused by |
sewage poison in our river.
Why couldn't the diarrh9a paper have |
stated the fact? Here it is, as officially |
by the city clerk:
The mayor suggested that the council invite Drs.
Gait and Plummer to be committee
to examine the water and the sewerage running
into the river
On motion OF Alderman Lundy the water
board with Drs. Trutsdale. Gait and Plum
mer, were constituted committee to make thor
ough examination of the river water as given
through the water pipes, the sewerage running INTO
the river and to hare the acdteT 0Hdtyzed.
Instead of republishing this official state
ment, the diarrh9a newspaper says:
What is wanted is the chemical analysis which
will show whether there is anything III the water
that Is deleterious to health.
That's exactly what the council, on mo-
ton Of AID Lundy. ordered done. Were
any steps taken to that end? The mayor is
chairman of that sommittee. Did be take
any measures to have the COMMITTEE exc
cute the order? Or did he let the matter
side along hoping it would blow over?
1t is pretty we'll understood that the ma
iority Of the committee. who are apologists
for the poisoned water, have not done
their duty; that they have not taken meas
ures fer chemical analysis which will
show whether there is anything in the
water that is deleterious to health" 1t
they have done so, they have beer strange
Iy negligent in reporting the fact to the
people, whose hired men and servants
they are.
The diarrhHa defender says:
1t is not in keeping with good faith to the people
for TIE ARGUS to fail to call foI report from Or.
Gait
IfDr, Gait has any positive ideas on
the subject. backed by experiments and
medical authorities, the public would be
glad to read them, and we should be glad
to lay them before the public. We never
understood that he was prepared with a
written opinion, backed by tests and
authorities. If he is, by all means let US
have it. That's what he was appointed
for. 1t is understood that Dr's TruesdaIe
and Plummor are SO prepared, and have
been ready, for some time, to report
Why did the chairman Of the committee
and his water works aids cause this delay
Does he think the people like to be
trifed with in a matter affecting healtl
and life? IF he does he is strangely
Ignorant Of public opinion. The sooner h.
realizes, when ordered by authority Of thC
whole people, to perform a definite job Q
work, that it is his duty to use dut
DILIGENCE il the performance Of the orde
OF step down and cut and give place t
some one who can and will execute al
order when given, the better it will be 70
his personal popularity. We can tell hin
that such trihing and evasion Of duty 4
he has shown since the 22d Of January,o
this subject, are not relished by the peopl
at all
: The organ Oft the filthy water nuisaDc
says:
II seware poison Is the cause i, stands to reaso
that no person will have The disease who does Il
p drink the poisoned water. s. II the water il
blame every one who drinks II should be afcctet
This is absurd Neither is il true tina
r every person who drinks the water wi
e have the disease People are not all col
stituted alike, Scarlet or typhoid fever
: sometimes affect only portions Of famil
e and sometimes all.
t Sewage poison is claimed by high med
cal authority TO have been the origin
o cholera, but thousands Of people hay
E. had the cholera, and died of it, who nevt
4 felt the influence of sewage poison. I'll
5 reasons which made cholera epidem
i apply with equal force to the disease whic
5 now affects hundreds Of people in th
city and warm weather will probably ad
= to Its dangers.
!. When This committee was appointed Y
e complained of the proposed delay. al
d urged more speedy action in order TIL
= the people might know, then, the re
= truth. It is now probable that they VI
:. not know it. The opening Of the river ar
the greatly increased volume Of wat,
will render the use of the water lie
= dangerous. Had the committee, und
l. the lead Of the mayor, who is the chat
). man, promptly performed its duty,
unanimously ordered by the council, Il
people would have been better satisfe
The delay was evidently caused in ord
, to keep the real truth from the peopl
- And those who caused the delay will
censured for their violation and evasi;
of the order.
What is wanted is good water-wat
= which will not injure the people or pr
duce disease. THE ARGUS has no intere
r in the world to subserye except that
- the people 1t has no personal ends o.su
>. serge. It seeks only to do its duty to Il
public. OF course most people know th
water contains more or less organic matte
= and the atmosphere we breath is full
it,"-but what we want is water that
= safe to use. The water We get Is not.
contains the germs Of disease and the
= come from sewage. This is known abs
lutly, but the water works committee u
trying to hide the disagreeable fact frc
the people. These germs Of disease 9
g. into the system, They may not deYelo
u for months,-in some people they may D