, 1881-04-17


tho homes of our city it would not only pTutcct
| zach household so connected from whatever
render tho atr in our sewers nsepttc and purr-
OSCAR c. De WOLF. n. D.:
Commissioner OF Health
alR. THOMAS EEP0ET.
The following IS the report of the microscop-
CHICAGO April is, 1ssl..-Oscdr S. De IFor, COM
missioner Of Health, City Of Chtcdgo-DEAR STR:
Your note Of Wednesday WAS handed to me BY
nr. Patton. who also guve 1ne six viuls, marked
l, =: 3, and l: 4, Of which. IN aecordanee with
your request, assisted By c. s. Fellows. Esq.
lion. Tho contents Of alt these walls was swarm
ing with life but the organisms found 1t, thosc
marked contained more OF the larger forms
than was found In those marked P. In 1--we
found bacteriu1n terulo. L. uiuea. u lineola
spsrrtllum, etc, md immense numbers OF saaller
organisms, hardly more than point Ut light u5,,
was about the same as !, but In G we FOUND
considerable more organic lfe.7 Walls F ]. =, ).
above, but mostly ct the smaller forms, and were
much less numerous. Dr. PAton nfterwar11
gave me six Walls marked respectively G !, ). 9,
under Ills Walcs objective, showing Hluny ap-
parently dead organisms similar to those found In
a he Others OF series
:uuld very few tt,at gave evidence Of life, and
these Gun probably be accounted for BY tho cx-
Of the rpom In which tho examinations were
,nnsle. L. T. williams, II. D.. assisted US in our
OF the last series Of va Most
Dl:. WILLIAMS REPORT.
TO The Editor Of The Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO. April 18.-In accordance with In
structions received from YOU have completed
thy investigations Of the alleged merits OF tho
"Gerinicdc, an instrument placed on exhlbi-
ton In the Palmer House for the purpose OF
destroying the Injurious effects Of sewcr-gas
emnnahons. and I have tho honor to report rs
follows:
The "Germicidc" is an automatic device,
into the trap Of IL water closet. md from thence
into the sol-plpe. fur the nbosc-named purpose.
The auriscptfc used in this instance Is the one
known to snnitnriaus rs chloride OF zinc Ke-
;;arding the efficacy Of this metallic salt for the
purpose, these gentlemen exhibiting the ''Germ-
icidc" ciaim for it what others claim, and
nothing more-namely: that when brought
into contact with dccomposable organic
substance chloride of zinc acts corroslrcls upon
the atbuntinoid structure of the suid substance,
and thereby delays the process OF putrefactire
fermentation. which. ii allowed to occur, fur
ni5hcs us the result thereof Il gaseous compound
terlned sewer gAs.
SeWer-gas contains, as also does tho atmoS-
pheric mir we breathe, the water we drink, and
tue food we cut, thousands aud tens Ut thou
sanus Of the spores Of the lower for1n OF ll1e
Termed bacteria
OF these living fortns mankind actually knows
nothiu@. We simply know that these turns ex-
list; that taken Us u whole they spring into ex-
istcnce III the presence Of aud simultaneously
With tho ticconposttiOn of organic structure;
thAr III substance butteria arc OF Ill atbuminous
t,ture, and that their substance Is probably cue
TO tho immediate presence Of heterogeneous NUT
ter, possibly to the presence OF aEbum'no!d aul-
mooia, which Is everywhere Present in Il less
1t il further clni,ned by these gentlemen, as it
Is by Others. 1hat these Lover iorms Of IRE tS shen
t1a- 1l0f1 1f.ft IL fr1fA
To recapitu!nte: In hrtef, nr5t, tho ues1ce
known rs tho Germicitfe Is presented under the
claim that Is new; second; the cnlose ' oc i1 ze
thAt it Is not new; third TINT the chloride Of zinc
will, through the aid CT this AUTOMATIC device,
prevent the formation Of sewer-Ras and destroy
tho disease breeding germs that are said to be
present within the soil-ppe. and which may
pass through tho trap into tho wnter-cIoset
1t is Of the supposed merits OF tho latter claim
that speak.
.Jr'' tSew York; tue Doard OF Heulth Of Chicago,
represented by DR.. f. S. G. Pnton. hnvc just
cuinpiered series OF experiments IN order to
the soil pipe and the effect OF chloride OF zinc
on bacteria when brought into contact with it
through the agency OF the device known as the
Upon IN invitation extended by the Commits
sioncr of Health to Mr. Is. ". Thomas, who was
assisted by Mr; c. $. Faitows; and myself spcc,-
mems OF Il tluid substance placed In our hands
by Dr.. Pnton were uicr0ScopicAlly examined by
each and found to contain myriads OF bacteria.
Subsequently other specimens said to have been
treutvd by Nn a1ltcseptic, through the means OF
the gcrEuicidc, were also placed ID our hands by
DR.. puton which were mlcroscop!cally examined
and found to be, practically, free from bacteria
Now, IT my opinion IS asked in reference to
the .Ger1nicide,' taken US u whole. az to tho
fact II it actually does possess any merits can
simply answer that do not know; II am
nskcd II the "Gerufchde as device Is prac-
1ic:ll In its construction, If it will continuously
and automatically do that which Is cfAtrled for
it, must uy,l answer that do not KNOW; ii
am asked ii the amount of chloride Of zinc hero
used will accomplish the object here clHined, |
shall also b., obliged to answer that do not
know; in fact. i'll reference tn the entire sub-
iect, only know one or TWO thiExs-namcly:
that tue two series OF fluid substance placed In
the hunds Of the rnicroscupfsts did dffer as al /
rc:.tly described: thar no evidence was pre-
stnted to me showing the fact that deeotnPosi-
ton haa been arrested, that the formation of
scsvct-gcs cossld be prevented br tho usc of
either the device or the chemical, or TINT dis
cust.- breeding Sertns are destroyed, Il sanitary
dcstderatum Of t1r greater Importance. III MY
opinion rhMn is the universal destruction OF
bacteriu. Yours respectfully.
r. D. WILLIAMS, n. D.