The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-03-01

America Is suffering Ia 4 very marked
degree from the pollution Of drinking
water which Is 20 apt to b. the Nemesis Of
the Accumulation Of great city populations,
unless primary regard be paid to scientific
sanitation, and especially TO the supply Of
pure dEinking-wateF, as Nell as the presef..
Walton Of purity in Tie soil and air. The
drinking'water Of the great cities Of Amer
lea appears 10 be In some instances little
better than sewage-wateF, and in numerous
cases the pollution Of potable water in great
cities Is such as 10 cause, at the present
moment, considerable disgust on the part
Of city residents, and to call for government
intervention, which Is unfortunately slow,
and not always satisfactory in lis action,
From comparative results which have been
published by Dr.. A. II. Leeds In the Chem,
zeal NeirI, II would appear that the water a
Newark, Jersey City and HOboktn had be,
come suddenly noticeable for the highly
marked flavor Of carbolic acid, indicating
that the pollution Of that particular watel
supply was at that moment Of az
especially chemical nature. When the
board was made aware OF the nuisance
Il was ingcniously urged that water wa
all the better for being polluted with car
boliC acid, inasmuch asit served to disin
feet the other kinds Of filth which got int
the drinking.water. This plea, however
ingenious, was not held to be good in law
and 80 for the moment, the inhabitants O
Newark, Jersey City and Hoboken have L
drink their potable water without the pre-
liminary disiniection, which made Il NOR,
unpleasant To the taste, II les noxious 4
health. Boston Is suffering from what Il
described as striking and interesting pc
culiarity. Its drinking.water shows albu
menoid ammonia to the extent OF 0.0GO5, {
statement which analytical chemists ant
medical olllcOs OF health will read viii
grim surprise. 1t isstated, however, tina
the peculiar interest is, that this is due
first, to the pollution BY few manufartur
ing towns, and, secondly, to the growth o
algp. There is especially IN extremely
interesting and rare fresh.water sponge
SpOHgilld huridtiiis, which accounts for the
peculiar cucumber taste" 1t Is though
that the Boston people would b,
more reconciled to the cucumber taste
il they took a little more scientific
interest in the SpongiRa duriGiilil
which is accordingly deliberately describes
and figured, and recommended as an Oh
ject Of interest under the microscope. An
other source OF pollution OF the Boston
water Is PECAN Brook, which flows througl
a town OF ten thousand inhabi ants, almos
entirely engaged In the dressing Of leathe
and manufacture Of shoes; the outflow iron
which factories is supposed to communi
cata the cucumber flavor" PHILADELPHIA
and New York also, It appears, receiv
their waters from polluted sources. TIL
feeders, which empty themselves into Gro
ton Lake, the principal reservoir Of IL
New York water, pass through settle,
country, with numerous tanneries, iacto
ries, etc, along their banks. Wilmington
Del, also. ranks among the towns Suppliet
with polluted water. Under these circum
stances it is satisfactory that an energeti
effort is promised to maintain the publ
interests and to protect the public healtl
by improving the sources Of water supply
and guarding them against contamination
and, meantime, II Is not surprising tina
Apollinaris water is stated TO have becomt
so general iavorite in the United State
that It's consumption there as daily tabl
water equals that Of Great Britain.-Britis
Medical Journal,