The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-08-14
DRINKING WATER.
Necessity That II Should BE Absolutely
Free from Impurity.

Free from Impurity.
The average healthy adult man takes
into his system -four and half pounds
OF water daily, and with it too often a
dangerous quantity Of foreign matter
and disease-producing germs. In very
many homes during the summer
months water that otherwise would
nauseate the drinker is made cold by
ice and then is hastily swallowed, the
GOODNESS masking its olfensiyeness.
Unfortunately for the health of the con-
sumner the addition of ice does not
FENDER the impurities in water innocu-
bus but often adds to it its own con'tri-
but on OF disease germs Those who
have studied the subject are aware that
impure drinking water is the cause oi
many OF tae most common diseases.
NO subject, then, is of greater impor-
tance to the public than how to purify
our drinking water. Water, if drawn
through lead and tin pipes, often be-
comes contaminated with these metals
to dangerous extent Where water
remains in lead pipe for twenty-four
hours, and is then drawn off and drank.
there is always danger of lead poison
ing. 1t is always safer to let the water
run for several minutes before using
any for drinking purposes. Boiling the
water destroys some germs, but does
not rer1ove impurities in solution. An
alyses of water from city wells have
frequently shown it to be so impure as
20 be utterly unfit for drinking pur-
poses, and dangerous 60 health. The
use of rain water caught 10 cisterns,
with suitable precautions, will obviate
most dangers from the present supplies
of many cities, but unfortunately, few
persons can take these suitable pre-
cautions. A clean roof to collect the
rain, clean pipes to transport, and a
clean, well-ventilated cisterr to receive
it, are essential Water stored in a
close cistern soon becomes unfit for
use. Many waters that appear clear
are full of impurities and dangerous to
healtt, Dir Ezra Hurt says: There are
many waters used for drinking which,
il kept few days in long glass tube,
half full and corked, will, on opening,
emit much odor from the change in the
suspended or dissolved ingredients they
contain. = The large majority of peo
pie in cities must depend for water
On the public supply, hence il
is of the utmost Importance tc
The public health that the purest water
attainable be secured; this, unfortunate
ly. is often very impure. The only safe.
I guard to the consumer is in giving his
personal attention to the filtration Of
The water used in his household. Water
slowly percola.ed through crushed
vegetable charcoal will escape from il
not only cIeansed of particles held IN
suspension, but also of organic anc
other matter. The cheapness OF char
coal-is such that it is obtainable by al
elasses, and when soiled, a fresh quan
City can be substituted at trifing cost
The most elective filtration is obtained
by placing crushed charcoal in. al
earthen vessel, so arranged as to com
pei the slow passage of the water
through it, as all efforts at rapid Ultra
tion have proved inefficient. Only
wooden spigots should be used in draw
INC OF the water A reservoir for the
Uttered water with separate ice
chamber viii permit the water to be
s..!.. !s..s.ese.s.ly chilled and keep all ice Inn
purities out. Such a contrivance re-
CURES but very little room, Is easily
leaned, the coal easily renewed and
IS; efficient in freeing water from Inn
purities. Or. Hoace, IN american Agrt
cstlturist.