The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1877-02-12


thrown into the Schuylkill, the inhabitants
of this city might feel disgust at the idea
of swallowing any portion of such filth, but
their apprehensious of danger would be far
less than in the supposed case of arsenic
being thrown into the stream, while the
danger would really be far greater,
A striking example of this danger was
lately exhibited in Lausen, in Switzerland,
where the objections of three typhoid pa
tients were cast into mountain brook;
the water, after irrigating a meadow, FL
tered through mile of porous earth, and
reappeared as spring, from which most
of the inhabitants of Lausen derived their
supply of water; yet this water still re
tanned enough of the poison of typhoid to
strike down more than II per cent. Of the
inhabitants With typhoid fever. This
brings strongly to our attention the ques-
ton whether the soil can be considered
sanitary filter, i. e. whether it will effec-
tually arrest zymotic poisons.
Such considerations show us that for
sanitary reasons water must be regarded
and treated with unusual care. Compared
with air, it has very feeble powers Of tax
ing care of itself on the small scale de-
manded for domestic use.
The subject of water supply as related
to the public health is so vast IN itself, and
its relations are so fundamental, that il is
impossible,in the regulation 40 minutes"
to discuss the whole subject [ present
my convictions on this subject in seven
propositions, which submit to your con-
sideration:
/. Uncontaminated water is the indefeasible
right of every human being,
2 Needless 0VOIIahlp nO1lUtinn re.
CURED for potable or culinary uses is crime
against society.
diseases should be thoroughly treated with oKi-
dants or antiseptes before they are permitted to
enter the sewers,
a. Water in streams, lakes. lakelets, ETC., is the
common property of the race in this sense-that no
one has the right to destroy or injure its potable
quality.
5. State and municipal authorities have the right
10 maintain these common rights, and no right to
abridge them.
It is the duty OF state and municipal authorities
to early make sanitary survey Of such waters, in
order to preserve them from contamination and to
preserve as far as practicable, the natural sewer
z. No municipality should introduce water
works without at the same time, introducing a
coeXtensive sewer system.
These propositions, whether true or
false, to my mind have the force of sani-
tary axioms. I shall not discuss them
Seriatino, but leave them naked before you,
to be clothed with your sanction, or buried
out Of sight by your rejection.
In the early history of our country, when
the mass of our population lived the soil
tary life of the country, or the semi. soli-
tary lite of the small village. the demands
| for sanitary science were less obvious.
Society was diluted beyond the danger of
pollution, which must exist in the congre
gated life of dense populations. The soil
tary inhabitant has much less need of SAM.
tary laws than the deniZen of a crowded
city, The breath of crowd becomes
| poisonous by concentration: THE SEW.
AGE OF A CITY BY CONCENTRA-
TION, BECOMES A STREAM OF
DEATH.
As we enter upon the second century Of
the Republic we find this solitary life dis
| appearing, and this will 60 on in increasing
| ratio Our elbows begin to touch, and the
evils OF condensed population will increase
III geometrical proportion. The danger of
contamination of air aud water will be-
come greater with each year. The bound
less tides of air may be sufficient to Gissi-
pate one form Of danger, but the danger to
our water supply must increase, save II
cities washed by ocean tides, The de.
mands of trades and manufactures upon
our water courses as a common carrier OF
Nth, by It's costless removal Of all useless
matter will constantly Increase 1t will bt
comparatively easy to prevent this evil
| almost impossible to remove it when once
established, for the plea of vested rights
becomes the improbable rampant of in.
| tole-able wrongs. One would think, frou
| the dicta OF the courts, and pleas OF juris
cOnsults, that the one sacred right is thu
right of property; the sin that is not to bt
forgiven is impalring the validity of con
tracts; the great duty is to maintain vested
rights.
"Honoring the holy bounds Of property
Do not understand me as making coy
ert plea for reputation; | only urge tht
necessity of taking the initiative in behalf
Of public health. The sanitary control O
every place should begin with its early
history, for there alone may the drainage
the watercourses, and the water supply bt
preserved from fatal arrangement or con
tamination, If sanitary science car
thus control, from the beginning, the en-
tire management of water for any city, nC
irreparable wrong, in sanitary sense, cal
be Inflicted on the city. But if this funda
mental element of sanitation is left Il
VI OopllCCfDl w lilC
of trades and manufactures, such condi.
tions may ensue as will render futile al
efforts Of sanitary science in the future his
tory OF such doomed city. The contro
of sanitary conditions, IN ddUGnce of al
unnecessary and injurious alterations O
natural conditions, would seem to be nee
essary condition for the welfare of any
place When stated in direct terms this
may sound like truism, but it is violated
in the history of almost every city and vii
lagc in our land.
In the early history of city through
which flows river mills and manufac
lures are encouraged to increase its
prosperity. The mill owner avails himself
of that cheapest motive power-falling
water. Mills are erected below the city,
| (Conclud ed on next page)
| PRINTING Rindipn opd RIoDL-PonL 1uorL