Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-11-05

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The cities average from 8 to 53S salts
per liter and from = to 3 and from
there to 76 inilligrams chlorine. In con,
nection with the preceding, there may
be added what some scientific men think who
paid attention to the purity OF water used by
cities Tor ali purposes, and what constitutes
good and bad quality. Professor Forster
thinks that in cholera epidernics any human
reieetions finding their way into water used
by cities for drinking purposes is liable to
spread the disease, and IN fact physicians snd
men Of science appear TO be quite positive on
the subject. He looks upon any river or
creek with suspicion. into which human ex-
crements or animal organism find their way.
Professor LindwurIn and Professor PetteI-
kofer (the latter noted authority are Of the
same opinion, and say before al things,
water used for household purposes must not
be polluted by human excrements. or any
animal orgsnisn rubbish or waste. Accord
to Reichardt,
ANIMAL MATTER
Is soon decomposed in flowing water, falling
into csrbonic acid ammonia, nitrous and
nitric acids, aud if decomposed the quantity
will show its source. If the ground over
which the liquid flows is not already satu-
rated. the phosphatss and ammonia are re-
nitrates, nitrites and sulphates find theirway
into the rivers. He considers milli-
grams chlorine per liter as too much
for good water; others place the quantity
still higher He is also of the opinion
to-use only "a milligrams permanganate
of potash tK2MnOf) to discolor liter Of
water, or milligrans K2MnO4 il the equiv
alent of 20 milligrams organic matter. When
CLIO milligramsof the chameleon solution are
III Al. ,S,,,l H. al
Thetests made with 8 nilligrans perman-
ganate of potash retained the liquid (alkalic)
coiored for quite while, and only by adding
oxalic acid coald the coloration be removed
immediately. The quantity of organic mat
ter has not been aseertained, but consider
it very small The labor connected with
titration requires considerable preparation,
and the burning process | consider entirely
Incorrect. as stated ii the last analysis, when
to certain extent it was adopted as crude
test. The microscopic examination only
showed the crystallized salts and no organism,
but upon this point would not be positive,
as it reqpires powerful instrument, and
mine is not such one. The degree of hard
ness of tbs water was not taken, for the wa
ter is soft, and this shows that it contains
little lime and magnesia salts.
IN CONCLUSION
I will state what Constitutes pure water for
household purposes. lt must be colorless
transparent ard without smell. The tenn
perature during the Seasons should not change
it to any great extent. Il must contain bus
little organic matter, and possess only small
quantity of chlorides sui pilates and nitrstes
1t should not be too hard, and particularly
upon this point not contain large quantity
of magnesia salts in solution. The Vienna
Commission ou drinking water limits ths
alkah salts to 0 $50 grams, or lS0 milligrams,
just what was found in the sum total of all
salts in this attempt. The third report of al
English Commission ''on the pollution of
rivers is strongly opposed TO any water used
for household purposes holding nitrates,
nitrites and ammonia, for they are proved TO
have mostly originated from organic matter.
In this connection l may venture TO say, that
considering the porous condition of our soil
and the cesspool system we have adopted
in this city to get rid of supeifuous matter,
any water in a shallow well, and any deep
well rot carefully tubed from top to bottom,
must be looked upon with suspicion in spite
of the water appearing inviting to the eye.
It may be expected that
THE CEssPooL SYSTEM
Adopted here sooner or later will cause trou-
bic. When the ground becomes saturated
the trouble begins but even now the cooped
up gases viii leak out, ignoring patent traps
and plumbers ingenuity. and when once re-
leased the p6stllentlai smell spreads IN every
direction look upon pure water, pure air
and glorious sunshine as great blessings to
mankind. The first two by wise provisions
may be improved, and the first makes pure
the next, for foul water produces foul air.
Our water is fair, but it can and should be
made better. JOHN EITEL.
NOTE Since the preceding analysis was
finished, our water has increased in chlorine
and again become more turbid To the
latter we have become accustomed, and We
have also q method to remove the suspended
matter For the organic matter in solu.
tion now there is no remedy, unless the
people who reside abnve US are prevented
from making graveyards of our rivers. Ii
the people quietly submit to drinking water
which has been polluted by throwing into it
its useless dogs, as is done in Red Bluff, and
matter from the sewer at the State Prison at
Folsom, then We may as well take our slum-
gullion a trihe more condensed, in preference
to the decomposed matter of dead animals
and reflections of man. 1t seems to me that
the purity of our drinking water concerns
our temperance people not little, for if it
is once well known that our river can be per-
rnitted to be used as stated above, many of
the lukewarm followers will take refuge in
drinking beverages stronger, but purer, than
decoction of slickens dead dogs, and the
refuse of animal and map. j. E.