Morning journal and courier., 1882-02-07
Tuesday Morning, Feb. Z, 1882.
IS THERE DISEASE IN ICE ?


And now we are called upon to fear that
the germs of disease may lurk in the refresh
ing ice which mitigates the discomfort of
summer. Several New York doctors have
been interviewed, and though they do not
seem to have much definite knowledge about
the matter some of them have something in
teresting to say.
DIR. Thomas P. CORDIALLY, associate editor
of the Sanitary Magazine, says his conviction
is so strong that it amounts to positive belief
that if bacteria or any element of disease is in
the water before, it is frozen it will remain
in the ice undestroyed and will be liberated
when the ice is thawed. He says further :
ice for long periods without being killed. We
know that frost will not destroy the germs of
yellow fever, scarlet fever, smallpox or any
other contagious disease. That has been
proven conelusively. Perhaps the most COLI
vincing proof of this was in the case of one
of our war vessels few years ago-I think it
was the Plymouth, but am not sure but at
any rate she arrived at this port with yellow
fever on board and was, was supposed,
thoroughly disinfected by Health Officer Van
derpoel and then sent to Boston harbor,
where she was dismantled and put out of
commission and remained there during the
whole of II severe winter. 1t being supposed
that if any germs of disease remained after
the thorough disinfection she had undergone
they would have been destroyed by the Sc
we're frost, she was in the spring commission
ed and sent on cruise to the West Indies.
AS soon as she got into warm water the yell
low fever appeared among her crew." DIR.
Albert Gallatin the well known analytical
chemist, believes that in large masses of ice
there may occur both the preservation and
transportation of disease germs. DIR. S. o.
Vanderpoel, formerly Health Officer of the
port of New York, has no doubt that disease
can be disseminated by ice as well as by
water.
1t is not surprising to find the doctors dis
agreeing about this matter. DIR. Henry A.
Mott, jr., who has paid much attention to
chemical analysis, says: IT am perfectly
satisfied that under ordinary circumstances
ice is free from impurities. If water be fro
zen suddenly in confined space, such as a
tank, it might occur that foreign substances
would not be expelled but where crystalliza-
ton takes place under the normal conditions,
forming first in a thin scum and then gradu-
ally thickening, the ice must be perfectly
pure. This question of the water being con-
fined does not cover the case of small ponds,
because water when freezing contracts in
bulk to certain temperature and then ex-
pands, and during this process the bottom
and margin of the pond would act just like
piece of blotting paper, absorbing all i'm
purities OF course, if germs were entangled
in ice, the freezing would not have the slight
est effect on their vitality. I claim that
freezing expels from water all germs salts or
other impurities just as effectually as distilla-
ton" DIR. Alonzo Clark also says that he
does not think the conveying of disease by
germs in ice can occur to any such extent as
to endanger he public health.
Here are the two differing views and until
there is more definite knowledge concerning
the matter 1t is perhaps not worth while to
be frightened. What is really wanted is not
something that will scare the public out of
using ice, but something that will scare the
ice-men into selling it cheaper.