The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-01-23

comnany then changed its source
of supply some miles further up
the stream, and when the dis
ease again appeared, only one
died in go.
Laws were then passed (after
its its second appearance) com
pelling the adoption of methods
for purifying the water, and
twelve years elapsed before the
disease again made its appear
ance. when the number of deaths
was but little more than one-half.
Most of these deaths occurred in
the lower portion of the city,
where they we're seven times as
great to the population as else
where. An investigation was
made by the British government,
and it was found that one COM
pany had supplied the people
with water which had not been
purified as required by law, and
the crime of this omission cost
thousands Of lives.
A case Of special interest was
connected with the "Broad-street
pump" Its water was SO clear
and sparkling as to be unusually
popular, and it was largely used
in the neighborhood. YET with
out any apparent change in the
water, over 800 persons who used
it died of cholera. con careful
investigation it was found that
the objections of an early cholera
patient had been thrown into a
cess-pool near the we'll, and the
underground track was found,
along which water percolated
into the well, but not enough to
disturb its transparency Or taste,
but enough to cause hundreds Of
victims."-(Prof. Brewery
A vast amount Of evidence has
accumulated OF late years, both
in Europe and America, show
ing that thousands of fatal cases
of sickness have occurred from
drinking impure water, rendered
so by underground leaks from
the vaults of closets. DR.. Pink
ham, Of Lynn, in his report on
the sanitary condition of that
city, containing over 10000 peo-
pie, made to the Massachusetts,
Board of Heath, says that "the
most erroneous ideas in regard to
the liability of wells to contami-
nation prevail among the people.
Persons Ct high intelligence on
most points, feel perfectly secure
in regard to their wells, with a
cess-pool within a few feet Of
them" He gives Illustrations of
several, showing the manner in
which wells are contaminated by
them. AS a consequence, five
cases of typhoid fever occurred
in 1879 in the family living IN
one of the houses, and seven
more, with one death, among
other persons using the water.
An analysis Of the water showed
it to he highly contaminated. In
another case a well ten feet dis
tant from a vault, where the
premises were kept clean, and
containing water that was clear
and Of good taste, received i'm
purities from the vault, and
caused five typhoid cases in one
family, and several others and
one death, among neighbors who
used the water. 1t was analysed
and found to contain objection
able matter.
1t may be thought that such
formidable sources of disease,
which prevail in cities, do not
affect the country, and that farm
ers need not trouble themselves
about them. But it must be re-
membered that much greater
care is taken in cities to secure
systematic efforts for prevention,
and that the various epidemics,
as typhoid fever, diptheria, and
other diseases increased by a
want of cleanliness and drainage,
prevail frequently and fatally all
through the country, and that
thousands are carried off annually