Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-03-24


is cast off as being of no further use. all, OF
] nearly ALL directly or indirectly, emptied into
these streams and carried to our doors, and there
! pumped into our hydrants, and then, without
:! the slightest attempt at publication, used for
: drinking and all other domestic purposes But
we are told that it comes to us so largely diluted
that any deleterious properties II may contain
are reduced to the minimum. Nevertheless, 1t
| comes to us, and it is impregnated with the
| character of filth referred TO, together with all
occasional corpse and the carcasSes of thou
I sands of dead and decomposing animals, and
vet we drink and use it daily and without re-
| flectiou or protest. And has 1t ever occurred to
you, Mr.. President that several hundred prison
ers many of whom are the offscouringS OF the
| earth diseased with syphilis and other constitu-
! tional and communicable diseases are daily
casting all of their filth into the American river
about twenty miles above the suction pipes
which supply us with water? And believing as
/ | do in the germ theory of disease, and knowing
water to be one of the best carriers OF many OF
| the deleterious germs, am convinced that from
| this source alone we are i'll great danger.
cat arintervals forthe past twenty years
! or more typhoid fever has suddenly and mex
plicably appeared amongst us, and each time
| claimed a number of victims. As physicians
and conservators of the public health we en-
| deayOred upon each occasion TO ascertain It's
| origin and cause and by pretty general consent
1t was attributed to foul and defective sewers
and sewer-pipes. / for one believe our sewers
| TO be productive of much sickness and many
deaths annually, yet careful inquiry into the
| matter has led to the conclusion that the sew
ers like the human liyers are convenient
| things to blame, whereas the real cause, the
fons ct origo mali, is something entirely differ
| ent. In the instances referred to feel morally
certain that our sewe, had but little to do with
causing our fevers, and that the real cause
| should be aScribed to our drinking water.
whether or not typhoid fever can ever be
originated de novo. and result from the combi-
| nation of such filth as | have alluded to, to
which must be added the accumulated filth
| and refuse stored up in tens of thousands OF
| acres of tule lands and exposed to an almost
/ torrid temperature for several months OF the
| year, l shall not ATTEMPT to discuss to-nlghti
| but aside from this reasonably probable source
or cause, who can say that a single case Of
| typhoid fever occurring at MarysVille, at Fol-
| som, at Colusa, at Knights Landing, or at some
other point accessible to any of the rivers OF
| streams above us, was not the real cause OF the
| prevalence of the disease in our midst on one
| or all the occasions referred to. believe 1t To
| be more than probable.
| Dr. Cluness here gave the well-known illus
| tration of typhoid fever having been communi
Gated by means of milk served from dairy sit.
| uated upon the bank of stream III England
which flowed contiguous to q priyy upon prem
| ises where patient had died OF typhoid fever
| The doctor concluded his interesting and forci
| Bile remarks as follows:
'In view, therefore, of all these facts it is not
! probable at least that we, who drink OF the Sac
| ramento river water and use no other for any
| purpose are i'll constant danger. | have nc
J doubt of it, Mr. President, and L am unqualI
fiedly of the opinion that, from sanitary point
W
| and obtain that which is pure and clear as soon
as possible. ,,o...o.,
and we are tod that it VIII cost about 50, OOt
| annually in excess of our present expenditure
| While doubt the correctness of this statement
let it be granted that this is fair estimate OF
the additional cost to our citizens for an equally
| abundant supply of pure and clear, instead OF
| that which is now supplied OF filthy disease
breeding and impure water. Health IS wealth,
say our political economists and if my PROPOSE
ton be correct regarding the unhealthfulnesS OF
| our water surely no one Will consider the addl-
| tional expense excessive, provided it viii pur-
| chase pure and healthful supply. venture
| the assertion that this amount is annually paid
! to doctors alone III excess OF what they WOULD
| otherwise receive were our water free from dis
| eaSe-breedipg germs And this is but Goiety OF
| the unnecessary expense with which our citizens
! are annually taxed because OF our impure water,
4 for if you add to this the druggists and pprses
bills, and the numerous other items incident to
/ Sickness such as loss of time and waste oalabor,
the amount will be found to surpass all e5specta-
| ton, even if you exclude the greatest eHfpendl-
ture of all, the unnecessary waste of life. And
who that has ever paid a plumbers bill but
! knows that large percentage OF 1t was titrlbu-
table to the injury done his faucets and pipes by
| the sand and grit in the water. Instead there
1 fore of finding fault with our plumbers for the
exorbitance OF their bills it occurs to ME that
our impure water should first come in for its
| proportion of malediction; Again, who that
] owns buggy or vehicle OF any kind but has
annually or biennially realized that the item OF
painting and vanishing would be materially
] lessened were the water used for cleansing them
| free from sand and earthly materials.
at was only this morning that gentleman
| who keeps small stable and a few horses and
| vehicles informed me that if the water he used
| could be freed from sand. he could dispense
| with the services of one man, thus saving him
| annually ten times the amount now paid for
water. Another keeping large stable informed
me that he could likewise dispense with one O.
| his men, and besides, would save II GOO an
/ al ly p.tr nf Sayp
others is also to the sts,ffe- effect. And if you
| consider the esthetie side of the question. OF
consider the damage done to our moral
| mattress by being compelled to drink
| and use such foul disease breeding
stuff, who can form any estimate of the expeLse
There are those who may ridicule this aspect OF
the question: but it is an important factor in the
problem, and one deserving serious corsidera-
I ton. The truth is, Mr.. President. that We have
| 50 long been accustomed to regard our water as
| being pure and healthfIIl because it comes from
| the eternal SHOWS of the mountains within sight
Of our doors that we meyer take into considera
ton the impurities it contains, or the danger to
| those who use it,
I al had intended referring briefly to the bene-
fits that would of necessity follow the ntroduc-
| ton of a purcr and clearer supply, but have
| already occupied too much OF your time. But
aside from this, I believe that selfprescrvation
| demands that radical Change should be made,
| and am glad that the alarIn-ben has been
| sounded and trust it will continue to ring in
the ears of cur city fathers until they Will fully
| dant supply OF pure anCEcear water"
| Dr. G. g. Tyrrell said s AS has been said by
the essayist, the general characteristics OF good
F., water are elearness, freedom from taste and
| odor, GOODNESS, good aeEttiOn and certain de-
gree OF softneSs. rende ing it useful and salts
| factory for all domestic purposes. If we COM
| pare Sacramento water b. this standard we find
that il possesses but three OF the requisite quail
tiles OF good water, viz coolness, aeration and
| soitness II is not clear, and at certain seasons
OF the year its odor is ao3minab!e and its taste
amount of marsh water with its accumulation
Ct dead fish, decayiIg hogs, cattle, etc, that are
| drained into it, have DO doubt, and when we
| add to this the sewage and excreta from the
| towns villages and houses on the banks of the
rivers above us, emptging their accumulated
filth into our river the wonder is how we escape
| as well as we do an not forgettul of the
| fact that vast majority OF our people are la
| boring under the delusion that a flowing stream
| purifies itself in a lew miles. Chemistry ties
| titles Otherwise; or the poison may be 50 diluted
| as 10 be beyond chemical analysis, yet there
| may be sufficient miefo-organlc matter stls-
| PENDED therein 10 eD5ender, when taken into
| The human system, the most malignant of fatal
/ diseases. We will admit the truth that water
containing sewage has been used time and
| again without producing apparently any dele.
FERROUS effects: but 1t Is also us true that if ty
! phoid fever or cholera or other infectious germs
axe present they will convey the infection
| whether decOmposed or not
| THE detection of sewage in water by cheIni
cal means is therefore of no moment, the point
of interest is its contamination and if this Is
| proved the water Is dangerous, no matter how
J well filtered the sewage may be. andi undoubt.
! ediy the cause OF much preventabe sickness
which IS now looked upon and accepted from
force OF habit as normal condition. might
| multiply the evidence upon this point to wcari
ness, but will forbear; we all must acknowledge
| its truth. Another point not TO be forgotten as
remarked by DR.. simmons, is the liability to ma
| Iarial disease cngendered by the water which
| lows past cur Doors That water, contaminated by
drainage from marsh and tule lands, is a fertile
cause OF the malarlal disease is beyond dispute
| ! am quite sure that numbers of invalidS would
come here to enjoy the benefits OF our delightful
climate did they not fear the muddy water and
its effects, / hear il again and again i'll my in
tercourse with strangers, and if we could either
OF its organic matter before delivering ii through
the service pipes, or get a still better supply o.
| water from other sources our city would not re
| gret the cost thereof Our increased population
Increased taxable property, the saving in The
| wear and tear of machinery, would soon pay
| the cost ! think we ought to agitate this ques
| ton until we can obtain for our city watel
supply clear, cool, heaithful and abundant
| DR. Wallace \. Briggs said Il desire to ex
| press my hearty concurrence in the genera
tenor of opinion expressed by DR.. Simmons an(
the situation was sounded by reference to the
Sacramento ut low water as the drainage cana
for the cities and towns aud the immense tut,
basins along its banks. During the late summe
and fall these basins are covered with III,
rankest vegetation aud furnish pasturage fol
immense herds OF cattle and sheep during
the winter they fill with the vashiDgs o
foothin pastures aud the overflow OF tn,
river during the early summer they dis
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