The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-08-17
when have the time to introduce practi.
cal thought. 8.
a Doctor who Nearly Agrees with
"MeG.v

OF IFS citizens, aud everything conducive TO
their health. 1t Is good thing TO draw
! both physicians and laymen into this con-
troversy, that we may gain all the informa-
iion possible upon these points. The in
formation being gained, Let the remedy be
OF an active kind, and promptly admins
= tered.
There is unanimity Of opinion in regard
to The defective sewerage OF the city, but
considerable difference seems to exist be-
| tween "McG." and cd" as 10 the effects
Of sewer gas. l am surprised at "D.'s"
! theory, for he at one blow attempts to upset
the theories and results OF experience OF
welbknown physicians and scientists the
world over IL 3D." or others interested
will take the trouble 10 examine the health
reports Of Chicago or Brooklyn for last
winter, where diphtheris was so prevalent
and fatal, they will find that this terrible
disease was traced directly TO defective
sewerage, or, il you please, 10 the effects OF
"sewer gas"
Because they have typhoid and diphtheria
In the country and In sections away from
the city considered healthy, is no argument
that sewer.gas Is not unhealthy. Any one
understanding the composition OF sewer
gas knows that il is unhealthy and produc-
tive OF much disease. Men do not seem to
be as easily affected by It on account Of their
strong, active temperaments. but 1t is al
ways most fatal amongst women, children,
and the weak and feeble.
There Is no doubt that the wells in differ
ent portions OF the city are great source
OF disease, particularly at this season OF The
year. Wells and springs in a large city are
simply seWer-traps for the gradual accumu-
lstion OF filth from the surrounding neigh
borhood. Although the water may look
pure to the naked eye, the germs OF disease
present in solution will gradually and
surely undermine the system by It's
poisonous influence. That The suburbs Of
the city are more unhealthy than other sec
tions does not argue in favor Of sewer gas,
as "D." seems to think. The poorer
classes sousregste in this locality on ac-
count OF the rents, and huddled together as
they are, with their naturally careless ways
OF living, disease Is certain TO make havoc
amongst them. In our city ShOckoe creek
passing through this section is no doubt
one source Of disease. 1t is simply an open
sewer. The filth from the ut-hOuses and
slsughter-houses near its banks is wash
ed into it by every heavy rain. Much
Of this is deposited along its banks
and upon the sand bars in the
stream, and is left there by the receding
waters, oEly to become, under the influence
OF the suns rays. active agents in the pro-
duction Of disease germs. The alleys in
many sections Of the city are n fruitful
source OF disease from the accumulation In
them Of stagnant water and filth OF all de-
scrlpliOns. But our Board Of Health CON-
plains they cannot begin 10 do the necessary
work to keep these places clean, because
the city authorities will not furnish them
sufficient money nor force. The opening
OF new sewers and breaking up Of new land
i'm cities is always source OF disease at this
season Of the year from eXhalatiOns which
arise. Such work should not be permitted
except in cold weather.
That our city is surrounded by very
malarious section all will allow, but this
should only make Us more careful to take
advantage OF all sanitary measCr to cOun-
teract as far as possible the evil effects OF
The miasm. | agree with MEG" that the
wells should be closed, but the poor should
then have water furnished them from pub.
lie hydrants, Captain Bigger, or some other
official issuing tickets, upon satisfactory
evidence OF the party's condition, emitting
the holder to use the water from these hy-
as any other sewer. The city authorities
should give the Board OF Health more
means aud much larger force.
The defective sewerage should be cor
rected, only the best-known plans being
used. These are all possible, and will re-
pay the city by the increased health OF its
ciiizens much more than repaving our
streets-a Job which could we'll have been
postponed until after the more vital points
are attended to.
A to public hospitals, We have q very
good one at the almshouse. III people OBJ
feet to calling it the almshouse. call the
hospital part the "City Hospital" "Public
Infrmary," or "Inyalids' Home" as 1t
seems to be all 10 the name, after all. B.
The Water We Drink.
RICHMOND, August 10, 1881.
Messrs. EditoTs,-I have been reading the
recent communication in your valuable
paper from the " eminent physician MEG,
and have been somewhat surprised at the
UNQUALIFIED statements made upon matters
vet so unsettled. To be brief, | can fur
nish YOU with the names Of over one thou
saad persons who have used well water
within the city as their Only drinking
water for from five to twenty-five years
without the slightest injury to their health.
These people all live IN sections OF the
city where there are no culverts, and
where the human eXcreta have
chance to poison the water, If this
could be possible after being filtered,
as they are OF necessity, through the various
strata OF the earth eli the way to the ground
water of wells, sc. But MEG. is wrong,
and displays his ignorance OF his subject
when be claims that the waters Of wells are
impure and poisonous, and that the surface
waters are pure and healthy. They are
both fairly good waters for the use OF our
citizens, but Of the two, the water from
James river is contaminated with a much
larger per cent. OF decaying organic matter
than that Of the meanest well ia the city.
WHY? Because one is a filtered water and
the other is q surface water, charged with
the washngs OF hundreds OF square miles
OF decaying vegetable matter; and should
this riVer-water be drank with its mud, un-
der the belief that 1t was purified by the
presence OF such mud, one would really
get the preeipitated organic matter, mud
and all. What we have said Of Richmond
wells UerSuS James-riyer water is the ac-
cepted opinion OF the best writers on Hy-
giene. Buck on "Hygiene and Public
HEALTH" volume l., page 2l7, edition 1879,
says: "Suriace water, such as that OF
rirerS and ponds, is apt to contain good
deal OF dissolved organic matter. while
springs and deep wells, or even properly
protected shallow wells, often furnish wa
ter quite free from organic substlnces.p
The general complaint made against the
water of our wells and springs may be made
against the air we breathe, the food we eat,
the clothing we wear, and the houses in
which we dwell. The tendency OF every
thing In nature is towards death and decay,
and from the mnmenl OF our birth we are