West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-07-31
DRINKING WATER.
Necessity That ne should Be AbsoIuteI
Free from Impurity.

Necessity That ne should Be Absolutely
Free from Impurity.
The average healthy adult man takes
into his system four and a half pounds
of water daily, and with it too often n
dangerous quantity of foreign matter
and disease-producing germs In very
many homes during the summer
months water that otherwise would
nauseato the drinker is made cold by
ice and then is hastily swallowed, the
GOODNESS masking its ollensiveness.
Unfortunately for the health Of the con-
sumer the addition of ice does not
render the impurities i'm water innocu-
Gus, but often adds TO il its own cOntri-
button OF disease-gcrms. Those who
have studied the subject are aware that
impure drinking water is the cause OF
many OF the most common diseases
No subject, then, is of greater impor-
tance 20 the public than how 90 purify
our drinking water. Water, if drawn
through lead and tin pipes. often be-
comes contaminated with these metals
TO a dangerous extent Where water
remains in lead pipe for twenty-four
hours, and is then drawn of and drank
there rs always danger of lead poison
ing. lt IS always safer 90 let the water
run for several minutes before using
any for drinking purpo cs. Boiling the
water destroys some germs, but docs
not remove impurities in solution An
alyscs Of water from city wells have
frequently shown IL 10 be so impure as
20 be utterly unfit for drinking pur-
poses, and dangerous 30 health The
use OF rain water caught i'm cistcrns.
with suitable precautions, will Obviate
most dangers from the present supplies
oi many cities, but unfortunately, few
persons can take these Suitable pre-
cautions A clean roof 90 collect the
ram, clean pipes 20 transport and "a
clean, Well-ventilatod cistern 70 receive
~. are essential Water stored i'm a
close cistern soon becomes unfit for
use. Many waters that appear clear
are full Of impurities and dangerous 10
health DR. Ezra Hunt says. There are
many waters used for drinking which.
II kept few days in long glass tube.
half full and cOrkcd. will. on opening.
emit much Odor from the change iu Che
suspended or dissolved ingredients they
contain. The large majority Of peO.
pic i'm cities must depend for water
on the public supply, honCe 10
is Of the utmost importance 30
the public health that the purcst water
attainablc be- secured this unfortunate
ly. is often very impure. The only safe.
guard TO the consumer is boz giving bis
personal attention TO the Gltration of
tho water used in his household. Water
slowly percOlated through crushed
vegetable charcoal will escape from h.
not only cloanscd OF particles held i'm
suspension. but also OF organic and
other matter. The choapncss of char
coal is such that IL is Obtainabie bv ail
classes, and when sOilod n fresh guau.
tity can bc substituted 10 trnug cost
The most elective filtration is obtained
by placing crushed charcoal in an
carthon vessel, so arranged as 90 com.
pei the slow passage of The wator
through TO- as all efforts at rapid flfra-
ton have proved inefficient. ONLY
wooden spigOts should be used In draw.
ing OF the water a reservoir for the
filtered water with ~ separate ice.
chamber will permit the wnfnr to l,.
sufficiently chilled and keep all ice t.r.
pur.ties ont Such % cOntrivance ~.
qu'res bat very little room. is easily
clcauo d. 'ho coal easily renewed and
is eiiicieu. freeing water from i'm
puritIes Dr. Hope 0i Amer,cau dyr,.
cui'uyisL