Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-14

Where?
A.-In Fl Dorado county, and in the immediate
neighhorhood of slaceryllle, aud in fuoa eonntY?
Q.-State what YOU have seen u that regard =:
AIN 81 Dorado county, upon one OF the branches
of Hangtown creek. Prospect Flat ravine, there
has been for number Of years ten stamp mill
to this-probaby little more quartz-and man
by the of Ryan has intercepted the whole Of
the msterial it being discharged from the
suces of the mill, right on the bare rock and upon
thst he raises good fruit trees Of all kinds and
pumpkins and tomatoes that think are not ex
celledat any rate there never anything brought
TO the Fl Dorado County Fair equal 20 his products-
and they are raised this material made by the
pulverizatioa OF gravel Following little lower
down old man by the name of Lewis has taken in
quite large number OF acres-perh4ps ten or
fifteen, all tod-and for number OF years has been
cutivating it with clover aud alfalfa rasing froi
three to five tons 70 the acrethree crops OF course
he water to irrigate it, and this material rests
on the naked bedrock. Continuing further Gown Is
probably fifteen or twenty acres OF land hled IN
with material that came from the washing OF the
Spanish Hill mine upon which there irlit trees
growing. Continuing on down other parties have
three or four acres, which is being cultivated and
raising from three to five tons OF clover to the acre
Q.-Now, YOU have spoken also of uba county
Am Yuba county is what | have seen IN the
neighborhood Of Smartsville There i cultivation
around Smartsyille, and the using Of these muddy
waters from the mines.
Q.-Usiug them for what purpose
A.--For tine purpose of irrigation.
Q.-You have spoken of your s!ldies in regari to
agricultcral chemistry and geologF. Have y'u hsd
anything to do with matters pertaining more par
ticular to the history OF ofdseases-poisons, partcu
lary?
A. Yes sir. During the time was Professor of
Chemistry at the Toland Medical College my duties
called upon me to treat upon these subjects.
Q.-Have you ever given attention 10 the subject
of malaria and the causes of malarious di. eases?
A have, sir.
@ What do you say in regard to the sedmentary
frnY,1 tba mir pr ths
try. in regard to their producing containing the
seeds of malarious diseases?
A.-They have no connection whatever with the
production of disease-not OF themselves.
Q.-Does malaria depend upon the mineral or
some ether portion of the soil?
Alt depends entirely upon the vegetable growth
that is produced upon the sol. Where rank vegetl-
tion grows there malaria exists universal v IL the
land is rich it is always malarial
Q-By what class OF diseases is malaria followed
as the country becomes older?
A By what is known generally filth diseases
"a more aggravated form of typhoid, diphtheria,
scarlet fever, the cholera and yellow fever.
Q-These are sometimes called zymotic?
A.--Yes, sir; connected with poisonous, gaseous
emanations.
SEWERAGE OF SACRAMENTO.
Q-Have you examined the drainage and sewer
system Of Sacramento city =!
A.-Yes have given several days to the exami-
nation of that matter.
Q.-State what you found
A. founa that they have system, or rather an
attempt at a system OF sewerage found that they
have sewer on Thirteenth street that runs TO Il.
The next sewer is on Ninth, the next at Filth, the
next on Third and the next o.. First-all continuing
their course until they intercept street, where
there is main sewer from to Y, which Is an zen
sewer find that the small sewers connecting with
the main saver are a most invariably of wood. The
sewers when made OF brick were loose and not
mented together. Continuing down beyond street
for 100 feet so it discharges into O. en- sewer
on very low grade.
Q.-I will ask You if you ever heard the testimony
of trustee Knox with respect to these sewers?
A.Yes sir. found that there was a system Of
sewers emptyDg in street Then went down
street for some distance along an open sewer to
what is called GTundou's Lake, where the sewer
seemed to have terminated Then found ar open
ing there. | Was informed that was the sewer. |
followed that fora distance of from four to six miles,
until found that the sewer terminated in what is
called Beachs Lake. That found to be series OF
lakes in marshy low, tue laud. With view of
ascertainng the efficiency of this drainage, as it is
called, ascertaiued the velocity, and l found that
it travelled at the rats of FIVE feet minuts-hfteen
feet in three minutes, and twenty seconds was the
exact time
Odd you determine at all as to the extent OF
natural drainage from the east coming into this
city
Al did, sir went as far one day as the head
of Burns slough, on Thirty-first street, think.
There | found that they had sunk three different
wells, two of them sixty seventy feet deep, and
one 200 feet-artesan wels-wth the water coming
up out of Them. In making this trip down to
Beach's lake, and from previous knowledge OF the
country generally, found that there up co the
east here quite large country that the erainage
must fall into this basin in which this Grundon lake
and Beach's lake is situated. There must be six
miles of drainage there from the bank of the river
extending back, and six seven miles long. An
attempt is being made to drain this water off.
Odd you examine and determine whether the
water closets and cessp0ols Of the city were con-
nected with these sewers
A-Yes, SIR | examined that at several points,
and found that the priyies and water closets were
not connected with the sewers except far as when
there was an overflow; but in large majority of
cases they did not even connect with the overflow.
Q.-State as to the quantity of fseca! matter per
thousand inhabitants per year?
A.-rwentY-fve tons of fiecal matter is deposited
BY each thousand ?
Q.-How much urine2
A.-Ninetyone thousand two hundred and fifty
gallons per thousand.
Q-What effect would that produced upon the
A 1t would have a tendency to produce all the
diseases that have already designated as filth dis
eases.
Q-Are these filth diseases dependent upon what
we denominate filth generally, or upon the filth OF
| human habitation?
A-They depend entirely upon the filth OF human
| hebitation generally.
| O.-Wny is 1t that the urinary deposit Is worse
| than the solid:
Alt will e1ter into q more complete state OF de.
| composition and much more rapidly. 1t penetrates
| more into the soil.
| Q--What is the effect upon the soil of having
! open sewers sewers | mean that are loose at the
/ bottom and sides?
| A-The effect is that the sewage matter perco-
lates penetrates into the soil in every direction,
and when the hot sun in the spring con es forth it
| seems then to generate disease.
Q-What effect has the soil that contains this ma
| larial o. poisonous matter on water?
| A Posons the water.
Q-What do you say of the use of wells for drink
ing purposes in any city that has been inhabited for
! any considerable time?
| Avery evil effects have always followed it.
Q.-And that whether they have good or bad
| system Of sewerage?
| A-Yes sir.
Q-What is the effect of dry winters as compared
| with wet winters in this city!
| A.-When the material is kept wet it does no;
to spread the disease, but in proportion the
soil water will lower then the disease will intensity
so much so that 1t is rule that physicians have
set up these places that subject to these nis
cases. that the disease is aggravated in proportion
as the soil water sinks
Q.-That is generally understood ?
A.-That is the universally accepted doctrine
| Q-What effect upon soil water will be produced
by the building of streets at rghtangies with eacf
| other?
A-The tendency will be to form artificial reser
voirs-undefground reservoirs raise the sol
water.
Q,-What is the effect of trees and cultivation o
that character?
A.-When trees are planted closely together, they
| spread nom rOOs TO root, ana form perfect EN-
bankment, and so reservoir the water underground
Q.-What is the rule in regard to soil water, o
water in the soil, In land that Is covered with tim
Der, compared with that which is notf
Alt is nearer the surface in land covered will
timber than it is in land free from timber
| Q.-You have said thst in dry season the char
acter of the diseases would be somewhat, or con
| sderably aggravated. Why?
| A.-Because the soil water will be lowered.
Q-Why should disease fellow then more THAI
when the soil is full of water?
Alt permeates the air, which crculates righ
through the soil, that is already loaded with tlli
material
Q.-What proportion of air will soil contain
A.-The quantity of air in porous soil will var.
from 25 to as high as rs per cent.
| Q.-And circulate?
A.-Yes, sir.
Witness then gave detailed statement OF privie
examined by him, giving the streets and number
and their condition. All Of them were found dry
except one, and that was filed with waite
which was running from hydrant nea
! by. Some were in very bad condition, am
none were connected with the sewers. Some o