The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-01-28

terry.
Very good water is often supplied by
artesian wells when they are bored down
so as to receive their supply of water
from below stratum of soil imperyious
to surface drainage.
Lakes and ponds contain less, but the
same kind of impurities as springs.
While the water from springs all flows
through soil from which it dissolves its
impurities, much of the lake and pond
water only flows over the surface of the
ground.
Rivers or any rapid streams contain
generally large amount of suspended
matter which makes the water thick
and dark in color. Very little of this
suspended matter dissolves, and it may
be removed by filtering or allowing it to
settle.
| When these turbid streams empty into
lakes or ponds the suspended matter set
ties, leaving the lake water clear, but in
running streams there is no opportunity
for the sediment to settle.
The water of the Mississippi contains
forty grains of mud per gallon. 1t is
estimated that this river carries 400, OOO,-
600 tons of sediment per annum into the
Gulf of Mexico. This mud is rich in
plant food, and produces fertile land.
The water of rivers is often made very
impure by receiving the drainage Of towns
on its banks. These impurities often
make the water unfit to drink. Rivers,
however, win purify themselves by
oxidation in short time.
The quality is often of more import
ance than the quantity of the impurity.
Five or six grains of lime or magnesia
will render water unfit for the cooking
of some vegetables, while such impurity
will be of great advantage when the
water is used for making tea or coffee.
Soft waters are generally better for cook
ing and for washing purposes, and hard
water for tea or coffee. 1t is on account
of this that certain wells have reputa-
ton as tea wells. In years gone by there
York City and boy was employed by
the corporation to pump water for the
benefit of the inhabitants.
The reason why hard water is better
for making tea or coffee is because the
lime salts prevent the water from dis
solving the astringent matter contained
in the tea or coffee, but it does not pre-
vent the extraction of theme.
Larger quantities of these above-men-
toned impurities make water injurious |
to health. If it is known that water has |
a high degree of permanent hardness,
the chances are that it is bad water. !
1t will probably contain the sulphate of |
lime, chloride of calcium, and perhaps |
salts of magnesium. Magnesium salts |
are especially Objectionable to water, and |
water containing even small amount of |
these salts should be rejected. Water |
containing these salts causes diarrhea'
when drank. They are also said to cause |
dyspepsia. 1t is supposed to be the pres
ence of these salts in water that produces
g-oitre Ga swelling of the glands of the
neck.) Cretinism, which is a certain
kind of idiotic insanity, is also referred
to the same impurities in large quanti-
ties. Among the inorganic impurities
of water, lead and copper are often
found, and especially is lead found. A
water which acts freely upon lead is not
suitable for the supply of a town, as our
service pipes are made of lead. Almost
any water will act upon lead if left in
contact with it long enough. For this
reason we should always empty the house
pipes of water which has stood in them
over night, before drawing any for cook
ing purposes. Lead is cumulative
poison, and very small quantity taken
into the system each day will finally
produce lead-poisoning, ESQ
The products of the decomposition of
animal matter in water are the most OBJ
jectionable impurities. These are high
ly dangerous even when in minute guam
titles. They are the more dangerous be-
cause waters containing such poison, in
stead of being disagreeable to the taste,
are frequently of very fine flavor and
much sought after. Many cases of dis
ease have been traced to the use of water
by drainage from sewers,
etc. |,
The old saving "There was health in
The old houses; while there is death in
The new" is easily explained. New vii
ages are generally supplied with water
from springs, and as the number of in
iabitants increases wells are used for
greater convenience. Wells often re-
,eive contamination from sewage and
while spring water is free from [
'uch contamination The famous Broad
Street pump in London in 1S4S killed 500 I
persons in single week by dissemina-
ing cholera. In 1866 many deaths oc-
'urred from the use of water from a IA
nous pump in Brooklyn. All trouble 4,
vas brought to an end when the Health l
officers removed the pump handle. &
There are substances dissolved in water {
ometimes, which are themselves HARM {
ess, and yet they should cause the water (
Q be looked upon with great suspicion. $
The first is sodium chloride or common {
alt. This substance may get into the I
vater by infiltration from the sea or
rom strata containing common salt. But a
mother source of chlorides in water is I
'olution by sewage. 3
Although the presence of chlorides in 9
Eater does not show positively that the I
Tater is contaminated, yet when found 9
n any uIIapfitv tho xvofor ,v,,c< Ia <,<>r | II