Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1882-08-04
The Drinking Waters of Maryland


We are in receipt of "a pamphlet copy of
4 paper read before the Medical and Chi
rurgical Faculty of Maryland, in April
last, by DR.. w. c. Van Bibber, on the sub
which heads this article. The paper con-
tains an intelligent discussion of the i'm
purities which are found in the drink ing
waters of our State, as derived from the
ordinary sources of supply, and suggests
the Importance of having the character of
the drinking waters in the different sec
tons of the State ascertaincd by scientific
investigation and methods adopted to
purify or avoid such as are dangerously
impure. The most interesting feature of
the paper as it concerns our section of the
State, is the view expressed by its author
that impurity in the sources of the drink
ing water supply in this peninsular and
the Eastern Shore, resulting from perco-
la'ion through an illuvial soil, is perhaps
the sole cause of the ague and fever to
which some portions of these peninsulars
are subject. He says:
The eastern shore and the four lower
counties of the western shore border on
salt water: and in these counties the land
is fiat, having many advantages of agri
Gu ture, with also additional means of sub
sistence for their citizens derived from the
water. They are considered by many as
the garden spots of the State. where not
only the comforts but many of the luxu
ries of life can be easily obtained. 1t is
admitted that ague and fever is more pre-
valent in the lowlands than on the hills
and mountains of the State. 1t is COM
monty supposed now thet the cause or es
sence of ague and fever is some peculiar
principle to be found in the atmosphere
of the lowlands. The supposed presence
of this disease germ or poisonous element
in the air has given origin to the word
malaria"
Up to this time, every means which has
been taken to find the cause of this disease
in the air has failed. The microscope has
been employed: experiments with ozone
have been made observations of one sea-
son differing from another, that is. seasons
OF drought, seasons of large rainfall, sea
sons when Storms are frequent. have been
noted and yet there is neither a law es-
tablished nor special object found, so far
rs the air is concerned, which has given a
c!ew or tangible form to the cause of the
,gue and fever. The difficulty of the in
veStigation. in all its bearings, is freely
admitted; but it may be fairly said. that
although the air has been careful " studied
no atmospheric element has vet been dis
covered to account for this widely preya-
lent disease
/ Il is possible TIL : study of the drink
ing waters respectively used in the two
sections of the State may hereafter give a
more successful result to this most impor-
tant inquiry. 1t is partly to direct atten-
ton in this way that this paper has oeen
prepared.
There would at first view seem to bc
much force in the doctors observation.
hat 4 scientific tests which have been
resorted to for he purpose Of ascertaining
the nature OF the much talked of'malaria
etfluvia" have failed to detect any. and
that such fai ure furnishes strong negative
evidence that no such effluvia exists in
the air. From this it would a'so seem to
follow as necessary deduction that i'm
pure drinking waters are the soc cause of
so called ma'arial troubles.
We recollect on one occasion having
called the attention of an observant and
astute member OF the medical profession
to this fact as ncgativing he "malaria'
theory But we were quickly sienced
when the man Of science, with an air OF
mistaken confidence, informed US Of he
fact that no chemicai tests had ever been
devised 10 detect the effluvia which com
municates smalps and other noxious
diseases. Whatever may be said upon
this point, however. it cannot be doubted
that impure drinking waters contribute
very largely as cause of what are termed
malaria diseases, and the importance
attributed to this subject by DR.. Van Bib
Der has not been overrated.
Another important proposition laid
down in the paper in question, is tina,
water is not purified by freezing. From
this the author draws the important de-
duction that ice water should never be
made of ice taken from ponds or streams
unfit for drinking purposes.