The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-03-07
Wednesday. March 7. ls77.
Mr.. "PIain Facts" And His
Abuse of the Majority of
the Doctors.
HIS COMMUNICATION R1DDLED
THROUGH AND THROUGH.
The; Abominably Filthy Water Rock
Island Drinks.

To the Editors Of The Argus.
In the Rock Island Union of the Sd and
4th inst. may be found great amount
of stuff which, apparently, was intended
to incite feeling Of hate among the peo-
pie of Rock Island toward what the
writer's were pleased to style ''the major
ity of the doctors, and all this because
they honestly declared their belief 10 regard
to probability" of the water in Rock
Island containing the poison which caus-
ed the epidemic Of diarrhea in that city.
The water of the river, it was believed
was, probably, the bearer of poison, but
the wells also were suspected. One of
the correspondents of the Union, styling
himself plain Facts, even said that a
combination" had been formedin order to
overthrow the water works at Rock Is
land. Let plain Facts" offe. a reason
why such an object should or did exist in
the minds of the majority Of doctors, or
retract his falsehood
plain Facts" said: Personally, I re-
gard such conclusion as was arrived at
by the majority of doctors, on Thursday,
as an insult to the intelligence many of MY
frlends-good and reliable citizens-MY
family and MYSELF and, | say-O. MI
And this personal pronoun then says,
when the majority of doctors tell ME,
that the diarrhea epidemic in Rock Island
is probably the result of drinking hydrant
water 1 am obliged to say that they speak
either in culpable ignorance or through
wilful perverslon of what they must
kROl0 to be the truth" This sounds like
an old lady down east, who was at loss
to know why all the world we're fools-ex-
cept herself True" he says, II am
aware that when some men have taken
one side of question, nothing will induce
them to change their opinions. They call
this consistency or irmness. The proper
word is obstinacy" Now, if man ever
made bed for himself, "Plain Facts" did
it 10 the last few sentences. A man acts
consistently when he adheres to facts
established by science and common sense,
but when q man sticks to an idea because
tits has aud for no other earthly reason,
then he is obstinate-and in this particu-
lar case, obstinacy and plain Facts" are
synonymous, Put him in his little bed
Plain facts. even endorsed by figure
head facts has no right to make the
statement that those from other places
may safely be presumed to give an opinion
on what they don't know anything about,
unless he allows that, having himself only
negative proof he is writing about some
thing he knows nothing about.
Should Plain Facts endeavor to per
suade men that the earth remains fixed,
and that the sun revolves around the
earth, and a majority refuse to support
his idea, under what pretext has he any
claim to say that he regarded their refusal
as an insult? What has a vote, on the
probability" Of the presence of sewage
poison in tho water to do with him, his
family or his good reliable-citizen friends :?
Plain Fact" holds up bread and but
ter idea, but il seems like threat, at least a
warning. LAS it is" speaking of the Doc
tors, they run the risk of losing the con-
fidence of the intelligent community"
Now, lest he might think somebody was
scared, | sAy-"let them lose. charge
Chester, charged" A community may,
without much intelligence, succeed in hum
buggiug simple minded country chaps to
continue their patronage, buy and sell.
Cities have succeeded in coucealing the
fact that small pOx, cholera and other dis.
eases existed in their midst, for the reason
that, should the people know the truth,
they would, through fear, shun the city,
and trade would suffer. | don't say that
ldlu EaCLS WOuiu DC guilty OF SuCn a
thing, but he evidently would be pleased
to have the majority of Doctors agree with
him that the water in Rock Island is pure
and good and wholesome, and that the
little epidemic didn't amount 20 anything.
Tie would, no doubt, be pleased to hear
"All quiet on the - Mississippi.
don't believe the business men of Rock
Island would object to the announcement
Of the nature of the cause nor of its
locality they are mot that kind of clothes
pins.
The Union contained much useful infor.
nation on the subject of bacteria, vibrjon-
es, common salt, ETC., and also that the
water board had heard that darrhea
was at Milan, Hampton and Port Byron.
about the time it existed in Rock Island. y
therefore they think there is positiue prooJ
that the disease is not caused by any
agency confined to the city. | would res.
pecttully request any one interested, to
address a letter OF inquiry in regard to
the facts relating to the disease in Port
Byron, to DR.. Flemming, and, while they
are in the business, also address DR.. Lit
tletleld, OF Beardstown, Illinois, Thea
have no quarrel with Rock Island water
works and they can give some information
which will be to the point. Hundreds
have visited Rock Island, some of them
many times, this winter, and in NO instance
have any had diarrhea except such as
partook OF the water. 1t is presumed that
whisky, added to the water. may and does
destroy certain noxious matters in the
water, and this fact may account for the
boosted escape from the disease, in some
cases. 1t would not do to give the whisky
bad name 10 Rock Island. No no.
that would cause greater explosion than
the bugaEoO combination" against the wa
ter works, and would hurt business"
DR.. Farquharson, in his report, said
Though the question of the production
of disease from drinking water was not
directly submitted to me- / may be allowed
TO state that the cause of disease, such as
the subtle germs of cholera and typhoid
fever, may undoubtedly exist in water, and
yet be entirely inappreciable to the sense.
OF man, NJ matter hOlO nell aided by s,,cb
instruments as the microscope, and also m
Henos deiicdte tests The most we can
DO IN regard to these poisons is 10 hoc,,
mem ont Of the mater, by the most scrn.
pulous care IN preventing tie touZin0 0f
ne sources Of tie drinklag aoatey LU ee,yooe
from which alone these destructive ogonts
enter" "sents
,, No people in the civilized world. op.o;do
the city OF Rock Island, are so benigbtoJ
as 10 believe even large rivers suscentihla
OF furnishing pure wholesome water when
taken from a DOinf mot boIo.z