The Rock Island Argus., 1882-02-10


l. The possibility of conveying the germs
of disease In ice is receiving much atten-
tien throughout the east, more especially
| in New York city, and If the opinions Of
men supposed to be learned On the subject
are to be received, there is not only a
chance, but a strong probability of one
using ice cut from ponds, sfoughs or rivers
where there is any ernptying of drains OF
sewers, being infected with any disease
that the water may contain the germs of.
1t is claimed, and with strong show of rea.
disinfect. as for instance cold weather will
increase instead of diminish the spread cd
small pox, and that whatever of injurious
matter there is in water. that same matter
will remain after being frozen into ies.
Prof. Raphael Pumpelly, the head of the
Geological Bureau at Newport, r. l., who
has made an especial study of the matter,
Monday, gave his views on the subject to
reporter of the World. He said:
s"As to the possibility of ice conveying
disease, think there is no doubt that ice
can convey any disease that the water from
which it is frozen can convey in so far as
such "a disease arises from the germs of
low vegetable organisms. The question
was put to me last year by the Sanitary
Association of Newport, as to whether ice
in freezing, freed itself from these organ
isms. We know already that compare
lively slight variations of temperature,
much less those between freezing and
boiling viii destroy adult Bacteria in
water, but their germs Withstand both
severe freezing and in some cases actual
boiling. To determine this point we tested
samples of ice taken from the centres of
blocks, and found in every instance that
they infected sterilized beef infusions with
the germs of putrefcations which are pres
ent in all water and atmospheres in forty
eight hours. OF course every precaution
was used in these, as in all of our
for the National Board of
Health, to prevent the infection of
the samples by germs floating in the
there is on the whole more danger Of ice
contamination than the water
from which it is frozen, for the follc wing
In the warm weather sewage and
and other organic matter coming into a.
pond is much more rapidly oxidized and
than in winter, when this pro-
cess is very much retarded by the low tenn
For this reason ice formed on
such pond should contain, it would
seem, considerably larger amount Of con-
animation than the water would have in
he summer. The ability Of ice to carry |
disease should consider affected by the /
'ame conditions as would affect the water
Is regards the questions of dilution."
"W ould impure ice used in refrigeratsrs, |
arge or small, impart disease TO the meats
contained therein?"
IF brought in contact with meat, infect
d ice woald doubtless infect the meat.
f used simply as cooler. and not in con
act with the meat and where the water
rom the ice could not drop on the meat,
would not be likely to infect it so long
IS the refrigerator remained in use and
constantly wet, for very extensive expert
nents made by DR. Smythe and myself
,royed conclusively that neither germs nor
4dult bacteria can disentangle themselves
rom a wet or moist surrounding. The
Ianger would be after the refrigerator had
'ecome dry and the Impurities of the ice
lad become pulvariolant and so liable to
oat in the atmosphere"
us there then any way of discovering
hat disease has reached the meat as just