The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-03-08
DR.. Plummer Reviews the Water Works
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10 TIC EQ1tDfs OF Inc ATSu8
Permit me, through the medium OF your
paper, to present TO our citizens and to
the public generally, few comments on
of the water committee and the report of
Doctor Farquharson, as presented TO the
city council
The committee say the water works oil
a city should be placed where there is the
least possibility of contamination from its
SEWAGE" then they say we see no cause
| for anxiety concerning the purity OF the
water and do not advise the removal of the
works." and then they virtually acknowl-
edge that sewage IS pumped into the
mains, for they say, when the main sewer
| in the slough is built q considerable part
| mot all or near alD of the city sewage will
be discharged below the water works. "
A considerable part will be carried off by
this main sewer through the slough, but
what is to be done with that not carried off
in that way?-and what disposition are
they going to make Of the sewage from
Moline and the Arsenal? The only con-
clusion can come to is that we must take
it all until the long talked-of main sewer
is built, and after that we must be content
to use, Tor potable and culinary purposes,
what of the sewage is lett from our own
city, fortified by that from Moline and the
Arsenal.
Water free from contamination is the indefeas-
able right of every human being. Needless or
avoidable pollution of water used for potable or
culinary purposes is crime against society,"
: Kedzie.
That the disease so prevalent in our city
during December, January, and part of
February was the result of sewage pump
ed by our water works | have no doubt,
and my views are sustained by very large
majority of the profession in this neigh
! bOrhood. | am also sustained by clinical
! observations and experience as we'll as by
microscopic and chemical tests. The
Union says inhalation of chlorin is
4 followed by dangerous disease of the air
passages like diphtheria This we must
) look upon as new discovery 10 the history
of disease and about equal to the discovery
that bacteria are of vegetable origin
Bacteria found in the discharges of persons
diseased or healthy" DR.. Le1Gis.
"The presence of bacteria Is so intimately assO
cated with putrefsctlve decomposition as to Justly
3 awaken our fears when the indirect products OF
those bodies are found in any water.''-hedzie.
"Animalcul@ were found in every instance where
the sediment was examined *-Dr. Far
, | QuhdTsOH'S report.
Il found bacteria in the water taken from Rocl
Island hydrants. "-Dr.J. Fred Baker, Davenport
DR.. Carmichael, of Davenport. examined
water taken by me to him) and found
bacteria with other infusoria.
DR.. J. ". Cowden found evidence o.
g organic matter in the water by chemical
i, tests and afterwards saw bacteria anC
other animalcule in large quantities by use
+ of the microscope. DR.. Truesdale anc
s myself also saw them under DR.. Cowden'
microscope, So that the evidence of theil
presence in the water is beyond a doubt
How much organic matter is required t.
. be present in water to produce disease nC
!, one pretends to say,
~. "Germinal poisons are capable, under appropri
! ate conditions of indefinite reproduction Ger
minal matter not destroyed by diluton, but onl
l. by death or oxidation" so with the poisous o
cholera or typhod,-they are not diminished b,
J. dilutiOn and mag poison large bodies of water
I-hedzje.
h ''organic matters, = such as vegetable o
animal remains, infusoria. algea, fungi, etc, il
water make it most noXious to the health of thcs
T. who use II as drink producing diarrhea AM
fever PROF. Hammond.
/ Chlorides were found by DR.. Farquhar
5. son in water taken from the hydrant a
il Goth street and 9th avenue, also in waite
taken from the river at the mouth of l9t
street sewer. Where did these chloride
come from? What caused their presenc
in the water taken from those places
and that is, Se,odge aUdS present DR.. KeC
ze says the presence of chlorides in an
s. sensible amount in water should lead us I
G. reiect il, because it would indicate seWaq
ut contamination.
nd Chlorides do not belong to wholesom
water, and their presence affords goo
r. grounds for suspectlng sewage impurltic
a. 1.-The decision of the late medical meeting. 0
ganized TO convict ~ Union.
The grounds on which the Medical A
a. ISOLATION based its conclusions, may stat
90 as follows: /. The undeniable fact tn;
VI the diarrhGa prevailed. 2. The clinic;
~ facts showing the large majority of tho
az attacked to have been persons daily usiI
&C. hydrant water. 3. The positive evideDC
J., that organic matter was present IN tt
y water and that organic matter will pr
:, duce that kind of disease. 4, Chemic
u =, tests showed the presence Of organic ma
&C. ter In the water. 5. The microscol
showed positively and beyond doubt tt
"a presence Of amorphous, organic. molecl
III III lar matters, and glObular matter in Il
W form Of intusoria; and, 6. Because the
=" was no evidence offered or attempt mac
ny to disprove these grounds for the prev
leDce of the disease.
We know there is such a thing as @
ganic matter; we know it is found in SCI
age; we know, when combined with waite
'oA it will produce disease. but what its {
sence is, or how much is required to pr
L. duce its toxic effects we cannot tell-y
MS its disease producing quality is there al
the is well understood by its effects Diseas
BAD resulting from special poisons are often ca
hes ried into the system, says 9. NJ. Lathal
- NJ. D., in the London Lancet, 'by Il
r"' alimentary canal either in the food,
Ill., most generally, in the water"
md Even Dr. Farquharson. IN his report
on the mayor and city council, says: Il NJ
be allowed to state that the causes of
ease, such as the subtle germs of chole
lett and typhoid fever mag undoubtedly eu
on IN 1C0ter and yet be entirely inappreciat
and to the senses of man no matter now W
n aided by such instruments as the micr,
n cope and also the most delicate ehemi,
W. tests" and he advises as to the importan
90 of keeping them out of the water sayi
ted they only enter water in sewage, a
nd that they are destructive agents, al
when every means have been resorted
iue' to prevent their entering it, he rocco
ur mends, as further security, that the wa
o. - be filtered before it is used for drinkiI
-;s With most of this evidence before thu
~ the committee, in their report, say IT
Iu water works of city should always
and placed where there is the least possibil
lrk- of its contamination from sewage, a
,elv that 1.-THE time may come when our wol
the 49, DC Te ~ W - - n.,ai :.
all tive evidence of the badness OF their loo