Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-03-24
CLEAR WATER.
rcoSrrNurp FROM FIRST pAer.l

0NN
their situation is like that of those who live
1inon n mine, which only needs the application
OF a match to explode There IS danger III H.
and we have no right TO conclude from the ap-
narent innocuousness of given water, as ex-
aemnlifed NV those who habitually use It, that 1t
is a standard of purity.
ZONE of the most interesting questions in
yolved in this subject Is that OF the set-purlnca
t;on of running water. The English
Rivers Pollution Commission are emphatic IN
the denial of any such publication, at least 10
any appreciable extent The result of all the
examinations made by this learned commission
l. Tins summed llp We are led in each case to
fine inevitable conclusion that the oxidation OF
the organic matter in sewers proceeds WIN eAI
IRENE slownesS. even when the sewage Is mixed
with a large body of unpolluted water, ana that
II Is imnossible to say how far such water must
flow before the sewage matter pecolees tilol-
oughly oxidized 1t viii be safe TO lnier, now
ever from the above results. lnat there - no
river in the United Kingdom long enough 10
effect the destruction of sewage by oNldatlon.
Seventh Report of the State Board OF Health,
$3.50 and 1881 page "A: Pure water is neceS-
sitv of life IL is essential not less to the happi
ness than 10 the health of the people; and yet it
is one of the things most difficult TO obtain The
use of impure water Is now generally recog-
nizcd us a common cause of disease, and to no
other single agent or combination OF agents,
are 10 he more generally attributed those sud-
den outbreaks of disease by which communities
are sometimes afflicted No other fact III SAM
tarv science is more firmly settled than that OF
the connection DclNeell lilipttft hiiltI anu hio
ease 1t is notorious that the sewage
from towns situated along the banks OF our prin-
ciIil INTERNATIONALLY the Sacramento-has peen
emptied or permitted to flow therein at all sea-
sons Of the year; that the refuse tloln dwellings
and sometimes from pig pens, stables ana
privies has been discharged therein, with the
full knowledge on the part of property owners
and the authorities that this water forms the
principal or only source OF supply Tor nearly
900 people living below Them
Nor, looking especially at Sacramento
river are these the only sources OF refinement.
The Feather river adds its quota from settle
ments but a few miles above its junction with
the Sacramento. and as If TO fill up the measure
of the misfortune of those compelled to use TINS
water, the American pours It's streams OF nun
from settlements along Its banks ana from ilve
or six hundred human beings ipciosed Within
the walls of the State Prison at roisom
The disposal of the sewage OF towns or OF large
puolie institutions IS beset with dlmcullles, ana
the easiest solution of the probiem-the most
natural place of discharge for towns punt upon
the bank Of a river is the river Itself II saves
much Inconvenience and expense; 1t al1ords ne
spendiest and most effective method OF getting
rid of that which all desire 10 have removed as
far rom them as possible: and, too commonly,
but little concern is manifested whether IL Is
destined to become the dali! supply OF DINERS,
or whether those who drink il are satisfied or
not q The question of the contamlna-
tion of streams by sewage, and OF the dliIerelt
measures proposed for the disposal OF TINS
troublesome agent, was tully discussed N tne
1t was there shown thar, according to the best
authorities. while running streams do have the
power to II slight extent to oXidlze the
sewage with which they have been cOntaml-
mated. this oxidation takes place so slowly. and
so inconsderhly. as 10 be almost lnappreGiaDie
by chemical tests and that, to use the emphatic
Language of the English Commission, composed
of men especially fitted to pursue such an IN
vestigation il is impossible to say how faG such
water must continue 10 flow before the sewage
it contanlss becomes thoroughly oXidlzed- 1t Is
further shown that the apparent lnn0cuousness
OF such Water is mainly due TO the Conservative
agency of difutio; that the greater the dffutiof
the less the danger and that water containing
even an excess OF what IS commonly considered
10 be sale amount OF sewage, may often be
used with inpunity, Until upon the outbreak
OF an epidemic of typhoid fever or of cholera,
its presence is made known 10y fearful demon
strations OF fatality. Admitting these
facts which are believed TO be incontestible.
the question instinctiyely forces itself upon the
mind as to the position III which the population
of Sacramento wcuid be placed should an cpl
demie of any oneoi these diseases appear at the
State Prison at Folsom, only - or % miles dis
taut or ut Marysyiile, 90 miles above us.
It is estimated by Eranklanu that the amount
of the bowel and kidney eXereta, which alone
we are now considering, reaches daily IN adults
three ounces of fcrces and forty ounces of urine
Thy measure). If the weight Of urine were
equal TO that OF water, which is not commonly
the case, there would be discharged from a
prison OF 800 inmates 90. L pounds of solid and
go pouads of liquid excreta daily, or nearly
IL % tons of the one and over DO tons of the
other per annum. The question arises, Is there
conservative influence OF dilution sufficient to
render this amount of filth innocuouS?
80 much Tor the excreta solid and liquid,
But there is another kind OF sewage % be pro-
vided for. There is the refuse from the Kitchen
and the baths, and house water of all kinds
containing q greater or less Quantity OF dis
solved or suspended animal and vegetable mat
ter ready to decay The admission of the
sewage water into the river can in no sense be
justified unless it be previously purified by
some one of the processes devised for the pur-
pose The question is one of
Importance, intimately concerning large popu-
lations compelled to use indirectly at least, the
water of the American river. IL the lavestiga-
tons OF sanitarians ne OF any value, if te-T
have demonstrated aIlythIGs SVT1y it is
that water, pollutedb by Just such sewage as noW
enters the Sacramento river from Folsom, Is
dangerous TO health.
In $3.50 Dr. j. F. Montgomery a member OF the
American Medical Association, read Il paper be-
fore The, Stati. Medical Society III san Francisco,
in which ne discussed somewhat at length the
question OF water supply from a hygeilic stand
point and while commend the cit ire paper as
an sb,e discussion Of this matter / beg TO read
lllt a single extract. which, rs the author mas
gone to his long home. comes Ike q voice from
The grave:
Tie general rlle throughout the world, with
occasional exceptions is to expose the water
supply al cities and towns to pollution. or even
10 poflute il directly and Willtuily and would
he mtad 10 see GdlifutIiid. as Btlt.iEtilA Nv t-
bic stand Is an exception as regards that itbonl-
inaplc and suicidal habit, sometimes arising
from diseTeditable pdrSimory, but oitener from
want of knowledge. ana consequently tne lack
OF a lust appreciation of the dangers on the one
hand and the benefits on the other, accordingly
as 10 whether sanitary laws snail be dlsregar!et i
or properly observed in reference 10 tnls I'M
poitant matter. The pollUung material oi an
organic nature often enters into species OF Ter
menIatian or the specific disease germs engage
in HE work OF propagation. that leads, in either
ease, 10 such rapid ana ouuneless mHulphca-
lion as from Il very small beginning TO result
IN the contamination more or less. OF The entire
mass even when very large. Abunuant cyl.
dence OF THIS fact IS afforded IN the cases citcq
in this paper, 8ndi would hope that we WoulG
profit bV the fearful Warning the examples a.
ided 70 give Us 1871 man Gems 10 be strangely
constituted IN some respects, and 10 be mex
plicahly blind or indifferent toWhat vitality con
Gems his health. We might go further ara say
he is marvs lousy stupid, and inSensihie to the
disgusting, fog we tud hi1 al! ever the world
polluting his water supply with his own eNereta
and then gulping il down III large rotations, OF
using IL 10 cooking his 1000, or ior olhef comes
And again Dr. Montgomery says. on page y
The water supply everywhere, where II Is pIac-
ticahie should be obtained ftlni pure soure -,
high M Ia the hills or mountains or from iue-
cgSSibie or sterile regions mint fer h6EltatiUn,
so a. to provide against the possible contimina-
ton of the water, aud then, ferihe same reason,
it should be conveyed IN iron pipes from us
sourre 10 the point OF delivery This idea Is be-
ginning TO ind recognition, hollc0hly III Ens
land where he quesion0f q better water sup
plV has agitateo The public mind FOR years, and
where they arc looking 70 ihe surface spring,
in the hills for j purer supply Of the needed
LIQUID tsan they have thus Tar hal notWith
standing ali their efforts ~ the publication o
water, once polluted. by h.tcratloh, SGfl>iaehee
precipitation or irrigation
california s. sjugu'ary favored i'll having 50
many lakes OF pure soft water upon her noun
tain ranges, and all these should he utilized by
having their waters conveyed, III the manner
here advocated, 70 the cities, towns and plains
below where il is al all practicable so 10 do
and then her example should be urged upon al
other STATES and countries, IA be adopted By
them rs i0ra practicable
Sacramento obtains its water by pumping il
directly from the Sacramento river. opposite the
" alter WORKS. which are situated near the upper
end of the city, and that supply is polluted by
upon the banks of the stream higher up or neal
it, tributaries that empty in o il above the point
of supply. intending the American river, upon
the south bank vi which, twenty-five miles
above is situated the town of Folsom and the
Branch Prison. The consequence is that TIE
water supply OF the city IS more or less polluted
the amount Of pollution varying considerably al
different times, rs IS made manifest by its sen
sible properties 10 those who drink it, And thi!
pollution must increase. as 10 does everywhere
else. as the country becomes more thickiy SET
tied, and the opportunities or occasions for pol
luton multiply.
Aud then, If further evidence were required
il comes readily TO hand. This is n question
which has commanded the attention and in
voked the anxious thought OF those whose spe
ciai dnty K has been 70 consider matters essen
tial 20 public health, and over aud over agaii
has The Board of Health OF this city officially
called attention to this important theme
One of the most eminent phvsieiAf.S Of fkf.