The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-03-07
Our DRINKING WATER.
Startling Facts Submitted TO the
sa New Orleans Sanitary
Association.
An Intensely Interesting and Very
Valuable Paper by DIR. Chas.
Smart, U. 8. A.

The following interesting aud valuable paper.
,vhiah merits the consideration Of every
thoughtful person. was last night read before
the executive committee Of tbs New Orleans
Auxiliary Sanitary Association By lts author.
DR. Ohay. Smart. y. D. AZ:
M, Chairman and Gentlemen i was sent TO
ts cry By Y. nst.2Hs bos.d Of Health TO g.
10 that board my .flc,al report has to BE- rem.
dered. Il Was my Intention, however. without
ciaii 10. have prepareA . paper for you hu'
my time has been % oceupisd "a Investigating
waters hat have been unable to sum W the
zion | shall. nevertheless. invite POUR sten.
ton 70 what re, seem to be the prominent points
Scae wh xosa dss ws ss'fs q Is
already veil known to you. but \ will bar re-
petition BY me. inasmuch ss lsprak eacdth.drd
iii qneetiQn--as having aeen them, and weighed
them. and measured them. The Importance Of
cSre water r. snpn T. we kn9 wh % soa r
fng your arguments and acanieseinK "a yonr
doctrines. 90 on year after year, max Ing use of
have 70 b preached again ana aaain before
mi srs sssas M dion Eat sHa no Occupy tine
There Are two propositions connected with
the question OF water ,tnppay which must be
ssic, and viii be readily accepted a. ,rutb, huV
fhe ether may require to be proved before ac
ceptance. The nist ID That 4 turbid, water ie
proposition forms the other half 81 the sem
fenee-
CLEAR WATER 10 NOT NEcEaaA R1LY PUNE ONE
turbid water contains m impurity which
We can sees but the impmriy may not render
the water unwholesoma, little SnrkeninR from
Invisible atoms Of clay, constitute impurities
III which themselyaa are harmless: but It 90 frs.
Quently happens that In rain water these harm
iess substances are accompanied BY others VI q
more doubt fucharacter. that y practically atutbtd
water may be regarded AZ an impure water Ia
clay. sand and charcoal particles. the turbldity
consists of minute fragments OF tho various
waa se .so p"wf e. ri, S
wind 70 settle on the roofs Of the heuees.-of
decRYinr leaves, rottinR wood, Insect remains.
c ca. s ann n 81 she al which nave
examined tho microscopic appearances were
such a. are to be found In swamp water: while
large numbers. showing a similarity In the cis.
tern contents t. the bilxa water 81 shipa
a the wsr spSy hsse
be adopted. sed,mentatlon III the ctstern, the
reisetion Of the frat washlngs from the roof By
Hedimen alton will clear u tutbid water IN
progress cf time 7 tho process Il not 'nterferad
With but fresh inas Of ra, h st,ss the ssd
furnishas &c pure 4 water rs il desirable
Moreover the solid matters accumulate form.
tnH LAYER OF soft sArbonaceDus pulp In the
bottom OF the cietern. IN which. especially
during the heat of the enm tner season. chemical
changes are actively going on and tathtin9 the
THIS PULP OR clsTRRN SEDIMENT
ID black and mpalpable. not adhesive like clay.
but mobile and semt-liun'd, prompt to rise On
agitation and slow to aubside. Under the mi.
croecopa 4 is seen to consist Of tne particles u
UyrfHds OF Nntmalculea In active motion |
among the mineral PARTICLES. Its analyeis
snow 70 pr cent OF sand md "na oay md ~ per
very large part Of the ~ per cent consists smp-
u. Of deposlted charcoal or SCOT. but !herels
ser H% WIN asas master 90 Of mSsS
% thst about pne.th,rd ii q grain II
the mixed carbenaeeous and nitrege.
OF pure water. dangerous for use. With an 40 |
cumulation OF euch matter soaking. slowly dis |
ana eee 70 o. up e
OF the waters have examined have proved to |
oe unyholsome. Nc stronger argument l. r.
ssdimeutary accommodations, or Of removing |
thon ut short Intervals. than this ysis. |
which indicates that one-thtrd OF grain OF the
gallon OF water. Fortunately. the process OF
disinte9ration and solution ts slow. but to prove
manifest 70 a.,
smell and tnste. and during the hot weather. |
when the fermentation changes. progress more
RAPIDLY. Yet were such analysis required can
am indebted to DR.. DeLoppre. post surgeon
at Jackson BARRACKS. for obssrvAti ~. on the
terms were. examined, giving for the average
cistern rate Of deposit Of about one inch per
While the majority OF the people trust to sed-
imentatton In the cistern for purifying the
water supply. a few adopt the better plan OF
Excluding THE FIRST wAsHINas
from the roof and collecting only when the
nj N IN
the turbidity following each rainfa and lessons
the tatntnR OF ths water from sedimentary ac-
simpler the better: any arransement is salts:
factory by which the current s tilted aside until
permitted 70 fiow csternwards in the regular
But the cutoff does not free the. water en-
tlrely from turbidity. M matter how much |
carries With It a certain properti, IN Of solid
matters. II a sample OF 50 called clear rain |
water be permitted to stand for twenty four |
found powdered over with q fne sediment. |
which. when placed under the microscopes. Ia |
resolved into minute mineral particles: so2t;;
~ tmalcules or actively moving spores. 30 FAR |
~ turbidity is concerned this water is thus seen
the waters furnished me for analysis BY mem
bers OF this association is one which ia received
into an iron tank from which It escapes into |
IL an Improvement on the simple cistern. a. a |
large portion Of the sediment is trapped Ia the |
TANK: put ~ sanitary measure IL Goes not |
portion OF the sediment entirely aside.
But the cut. of requires personal attention. |
and this requirement tnterferes greatly with Its |
usefulness. Rains will fall when It Is ineon- |
venient or impossible 70 attend 70 II. and even |
when its existence ts forgotten for the time |
being BY Its owner. To obviste this an auto |
matte one has been suggested BY q gentleman
OF this city. vessel capable OF holding four or
permitted to flll slowly by trapping small per
centa9e OF the rejected water. When Allied. its
weight removes the cutoff and permits OF In
fux to the cistern.
ANY means by which the first fall on the roof
can be excluded from the eistern is OF value as
with samples Of the cutoff or wa te water aud
OF the clearer or stored water. but make no re-
ference here to their anal ysts. rs simple In
In the one which does not exist In the other.
TWO SAMPLES OF FILTERED WATER
were sent to me for examination: one rain
water from the cistern Of u private dwelling |
49, h h ~