The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-05-18

ing worse. Cause-a spring Welding
but little water, damned up below (;
above, the mucky GROUND wet and par
tally covered with watcr-no free
surface draining being given. Spring
situated in ravinc; six or eight rods
above and at one side of the spring, n
barn. and barnyard covered with ma
nure. The water of the spring being
analysed, was found to contain poison
Gus substances, such as ammonia, nitrates
and positive evidences of decaving or
ganic matter.
DIR. Park, who makes this report.
says: IL advised the family, before
leaving the house, 10 stop using this
water for domestic purposes, unless
they boiled it. which process would
nearly il not quite destroy for the time
being its poisonous properties
Nesult-Thc fourteen-year-old girl
died. ''Thc other members of the fam
lily commenced improving rs soon as
they discontinued the use of the water"
The same physician reports three ca
SEES of typhoid fever caused by using
water from n well situated about two
rods from n barnyard covered with
large quantities of rotten manure.
Again. he says he was called TO treat
sick person i'll n boarding house in
which there was well in the cellar
nearly full of water. and another twelve
feet deep in an alley in rear of the house
"A large underground drain running
within six feet of it. Examination
showed six members of the family to
have symptoms of typhoid, which aba
ted soon after they ceased using this
bad water, and which had been used
only short time, the house having lc-
Gently changed proprictors-thc new
landlord promptly abandoning the
wells upon learning the true character
of their waters. that were analyzcd by
Prof. Kcdzie, who said: "Thc water
from the well in the cellar is unfit for
domestic use, because il contains rcla-
lively large amount of nitratcs,
putrcsciblc organic matter and traces of
ammonia. The water in the other well
contains putrescible organic matter and
traces of ammonia, but no nitrates.'
Another authority says: III observed
one well about six feet from barn i'm
which one or more cows were kept. Ii
was full to the surface of the ground,
and the family was sick" Still another
says: "a family of parents and two
children used water from well which
was full sfwater and near the COW barn.
The father was from home much of the
time, and was not sick. The mother
and two children had remittent fever of
typhoid grade. Remedies seemed of
no avail, till the use of this well water
was discontinued, when they gradually
recovered" "Two cases of typhoid fe-
nnal1t,r.aH IN fha -
On examination, the well was found to
be about twelve feet deep, planked up
instead of being laid with stone or
bricks. These planks were dccayed
and covered with fungi, many of which
had fallen into the water. At the same
time, there was an overlooking privv
on the west end of the lot"
A case is given of a family sick of tv-
phoid, who used water from drive
well Supposed TO be the safest of any
kindD thirty feet decp-thc barn and
privy being sixty feet away The well
was driven through sand and gravel all
its depth, and the soil in the vicinity
was light sand-ground from barn and
privy sloping towards the well, so that
in the spring, before the frost came out,
there was pool of water colored by
the manure Of the barnyard, and which
soaked into the ground as the frost
went ont.
But why give more cases from books,
or from my own experience? But for
q feeling of delicacy to individuals. | |
could give cases that have come under
my own observation teaching the same
lessons. Instead of SO doing. quote |
from DIR. Geo. +. Ranney: "rhc physi-
pride Of some Of Ills ' ne CT EEbGn'' bS tdShr
ting one that his cellar needs DRAINING.
that his privy or barnyard needs clean |
ing. or that his we'll needs CORRECTING.
Their premises may be disgraceiullv |
filthy, and therefore unhealthy, but 10 |
tell them of ii awakens in them feel |
ing not complimentary to the doctors |
politcnoS.. Perhaps they point with |
pride to the clear, sparkling water of
lhclr well, and assert lis purity. because
they cannot see in il the lurking germs |
Of death that may destroy them and
hose they love, and they may quote the
ronplct Of John Trumbul:
But optic sharp it needs wccn,
To see what is not 10 be seem
''Thc clearness and apparent purity of
The water may be owing to the carbonic |
acid that is generated in il bv the de-
composition of organic matter. and is
ohly subtle index TO deadly poison
Tor when the proper Reagents are an
plicd to this apparently pure water il
IS no longer sparkling in il, morbid
have habitation and "A name,
and III ii the physician or chemist rec
oghiZcs the germs of sickness and |
death"
How admonitions are lost Oh the To-
norant, as well rs on the so-called edu-
Gated! | now know of such n family.
tour of their number suffering from di-
'casc, against which their family phvsi-
rian has in vain fried to save them, by
plainly pointing ont their own house
mold nuisanccs. When some of thc
number dies, will the death be charged
10 The mysterious ways orProvidcnce?