Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-03
PUMP WATER AND VAULTS.
Some Reflections Respecting Foul All

PUMP WATER AND VAULTS.
Some Reflections Respecting Foul Air.
Editor Morning Net0S:: / find that
needless alarm, in my opinion, has been
disseminated throughout the community
about our pump water, occasioned by the
discussion that took place last Wednes-
day night before the City Council, upon its
invitation, which think important, in a
measure, to correct.
Now, sir, permit me to say that though
l admit that our pump water has been
contaminated, more or less, by the system
hitherto pursued, of allowing offal and
eXcrementitious matter to be filtered
down through our porous soil, and there
by getting into the water which supplies
our wells and pumps, yet think that the
matter has been much exaggerated. Look
at the thousands who have been, and are
even now, daily drinking the pump water.
Has any one yet traced disease or any
epidemic arising from the use of this wa
ter, except, perhaps, in some few eX-
ceptiOnal cases where the water was noto-
riOusly bad? If so, l would like to be
informed upon the subject, and have the
particular instances recorded.
An eX-Alderman said ''that he regarded
the Savannah river water as the best and
most healthful water supplied to any city
in the country" she regarded the water
the best when it was most muddy and the
yellOwest." Another of the speakers said he
took issue with the doctor as to the health
fulness OtriYer water. His experience in
the course of treatment of sailors had
taught him differently. In steamers ply
ing on the Savannah river he had recon-
mended the use of filters, and where they
had been introduced there had been de-
crease of 70 per cent. in diseases induced
by the use of the water during the past
two years.
Again, sir. was born in Savannah,
and have been drinking pump water
nearly all my life. l am nearly, if not
quite, as old as the honorable
tened upon the pump water, while
he has been drinking yellow river water
filled with swamp mud, young cat and
cells, and perhaps cysticerci. Compare
our respective weights and compilations,
and l think that an impartial observer
will say that, while he has been filling
himself up with muddy river water, the
pump water, with all its heterogeneous
matters, has agreed better with me than
the pea soup colored river water has with
him. L would advise him to mix pelle-
tierine with the river water he drinks to
keep it pure and sweet. Again, sir,
have been residing on Liberty street, be-
tween Bull and DraytOn, for nearly
twenty years, and have been drinking the
water from the pump at the intersection
of Bull and Liberty streets all that time,
and so have all the families living on the
block on which l reside. Every one of
these families, l have good rea-
son to believe, have been using the wa
ter from this pump, and none Of them
nave been made sick by it, as far as my
knowledge extends. Only four deaths have
occurred ON this block in that whole
period. One case from yellow fever in
1876, one within a year or so from the
sequela of dlphtheria, and the remaining
two from diseases incident to old age.
My next door neighbOr was an old
lady who died at the age of 90
years, and she had been drink
ing the water from this pump
possibly for over go years, filled, as it is
said, with eXtraneous organic matters.
Is it not time, Mr.. Editor, that some of us
should look puny and ghostly ifthis water
is so bad?
Now, | do not say that every effort
should not be made by the authorities to
give us water as pure and free from ex-
traneous matters as possible. but why
compel the City Council, Shy hue and
cry" to close up the wells and pumps,
and make US drink yellow river water,
which it is not at present in the power of
the Council to have filtered and purified?
Why not have wells dug deeper and reach
a stratum where good wholesome water
may be reached? Artesian wells if prac-
ticable?
Now, as to the privy vaults and sinks: I
am opposed to them, whether cemented
or not, but be it understood l prefer them
cemented as at present than as of yOre.
think an approved system of drawers or
tubs, that of the Rochdale pattern, if
adopted, would be far better.
In the discussion that occurred on the
occasion referred to above, the speakers
seemed to me TO lose sight Of the fact that
foul air is equally as bad as contaminated
water, and this is the reason that am
opposed to the present system. Therefore
it was that / recommended a regular sys-
tenn of deterioration and disinfection, and
thereupon the immediate removal of the
contents of the privy vaults. One of
family residing corner of President and
Drayton streets told me that he could
not sit on his back piazza on account of
the offensive condition of a vault in the
yard of the house adjoining.
Olfactory nerves were given to us, not
only to enjoy pleasant odOrs, but to stand
as sentinels to warn us of offensive and
deleteriOus emanations which can be con-
Yeyed and infused into the body not only
by mixing with the saliva in the mouth,
and thence swallowed into the stomach,
tion, getting thence into the blood and
poisoning the whole system. 1t has even
been said that these emanatiOns may be
absorbed and enter through the pores of
the skin. have known headache, nausea
and even vomiting produced by the i'm
preston of hateful smells on the OlfactorY
nerves.
1t was a common occurrence when l
was a student in Philadelphia to know of
students who frequented the anatomical
rooms suffering from diarrhea, and other
intestinal troubles from inhaling the
eff1uVia emanating from the dead bodies
they were dissecting. There is a great
system of nerves within our bodies dis
tinct from those proceeding from the brain
and spinal marrow, now called the
gangliOnic system, formerly called
the sympathetic system-mOre appropri-
ately called so, | think, because it is
through this system of nerves that one
part of the body sympathizes with
another, now known as reflex action.
An impression, therefore, made upon
the olfactory nerves of a disagreeable and
deleteriOus nature is conveyed by these
nerves to other parts of the body and pro-
duces unexpected and serious troubles.
Therefore, say, it is important that these
bad smells should be corrected as far as
is possible. / may be answered
that ditfused in the atmosphere the gases
that are so noxious and disagreeable are
dissipated and decOmposed, and so rem
dered innocuous. Very true. In crowded
and confined parts of the city this Will
not take place, but they will remain long
enough to produce discomfort, if not
actual disease, among those exposed and
subjected to their influence. Of course l
approve of Savannah river water filtered.
There is none better.