The Dickinson press., 1888-08-18
FAMILY WATER SUPPLY.
A FRUITFUL SOURCE OF SICKNESS.
SUFFERING AND DEATH.

Watrr-Mineral Substances Found in
Water from Wclls-Poison from Lead
Fipcs-Foulins of IA Rural Well.
fure water is a life giving fluid, imparting
health and vigor to all the tissues, while i'm.
| pure water is one of the most fruitful sources
OF sickness, suffering aud death, shortening
the average duration of human life by many
years. n pure and abundant water supply
Is therefore an object Of the first Importance
torvcry family in the city or country.
The sources of supply are numerous Many
iahiIeS depend upon rain water stored in
cislerns or other reservoirs. Under favor.
able conditions this is pure and wholesome.
1t Is, however, liable to absorb dust, smoke
aid other impurities in its passage through
'hH atmosphere, especially over smoky cities,
and IN case of the first shower after
drought. When falling on the wooden roofs
of houses the first rain washes Off the dust
ana weathcrhc;tt of the shingles, and should
be filtered before it enters the cistcrn, Bet
ter still, an automatic arrangement may be
llsed which will collect the first rainfall in
some shallow receptacle, and when this is
iilIed, Will turn the pure stream into the els
tern. III then the cistcrn is divided into two
equal parts bya partition of brick laid in
cement, So arranged that the water which
enters upon one side of the partition is made
10 filter through the wall of brisk before
hclllS drawn oil on the other side the water
may tc relied upon as sufficiently clean and
pure for ordinary uses
VARIOUS MINERAL SUBSTANCES
Most country people depend upon the
ground water of springs and shallow wells
for their supply. This is liable in its passage
through the earth to absorb various mineral
substances, tn" most common and trouble
some OF which are the salts of lime and mag.
hc>ii, winch constitute hard water. This
requires The usc of largely increased
amount "f soap i'll washing, uu,l is therefore
much less economical than soft water In
Glasgow it is estimated that the introduction
of soft water in place of hard has diminished
the consumption of soap ut least one c-hulf.
Hard water also produces in many persona
arrangement of digestion, chronic tliarrhma,
gravel and other inorganic deposits. One
way in which the hardness of water may he
lrssrnrd is 10y boiling it. Another method,
palndoNical us it may seem, consists in add.
Ing lime, usually in the form of lime water
on milk of lime Both these methods result
III breaking up tbs. chemical combinations
and p"criPtatilg the mineral substances,
which should then Inc removed by filtration.
In cities and large towns, the usual source
oi supply is the surface water of rivers and
lakes. This is stored in artificial reservoirs.
and distributed through pipes of lead or
IRON Where lead pipes are used, either in
bringing water from reservoirs or springs, or
Ill pumping it from wells into houses the
lead is gradually dissolved, and Il poisonous
compound formed, which when drank for a
sufficient length of time is liable to produce
unpleasant and even dangerous results. Ac-
c"rdlnS to Professor Mayr, water containing
one ln.rt of lead in one million parts of water
is sufficient To produce load collie, wristdrop
ana other symptoms of acute lead poisoning,
WlIIr Il much less quantity may cause irrita-
ton "f the digestive organs and loss of mus
cuar control. These effects NAV be pro-
dllrrd i'll one member of tho family only.
while all are using the water, aud the others
escape, owing to n less degree of susceptible
IT, The path of safety in this matter lies in
avoiding the ubc of lead pipes us far as pos
''l'c and i'll never using water for drinking
| on cooking, which has stood in IL lead pipe
| for amy length of time, but always taking
llr pfccautlon first to run oifor pump off u
sufficient quantity to completely empty the
| pipes.
DEcAY1NG ORGANIC MATTER.
All surface waters are liable to contamina-
ton from decaJing organic matter, such as
dead leaves bark and pieces of wood, frac-
nichts of rotten fruit and vegetables, dead
worms, insects and other small animals.
garbage and animal cxcrcmcnt Not only
tins, but i'll nll old and thickly settled
| wherever civilization has masscu
l"lisc numbers of human bcings-both SUP
face water and ground water are liable to
tile still more serious contamination of foul
drainage, such as the teachings of farm
yards, cess pools, sink drains, privy vaults,
old gravcyards and the sewerage of cities.
DIR. |. a. Watson, in New Hampshile
board of health report, has given n vivid
picture of the foulinS of u rural well from
ti.'se sources, as follows: "Custercd on n
!n" sIuarc rods of land are the farm build
ma' Tie dwellings, wood shed, wash house.
hprs" stable cow barn, sheep yard, corn
house, swine house, hen house. compost heap.
r''ss pool and privy. All chose are arranged
in a hollow square, and in their midst is the
farmers WELL with its curb, sweep and
bucket or its cover, pipe and pump Around
Tins center are concentrated all the activities
ri a New England farm. Birth, life and
''a'lr: boom fruit and decay, of men and
animals of shrubs aud trees, have transprcd
H'i'' i'i IL century. All tilc waste mas been
dropped upon the surface. there to accunr-
late decay and putrcfy The earth beneath
ilas become surcharged with animal and
vegetable waste. The whole establishment
is resting upon and above II mass of the most
dangerous filth, ard this filth is being daily
l"arlicd into the bottom of the we'll"
In waterthus abounding in organic impuri-
tics are found vast multitules of animal
rul;i, which, when taken into the human
system, develop into such frightful parasites
tape worms, trinchinn: and hytlatils.
still more to be dreaded are the myriad mi
ci"s''upr bacteria, or germs Of disease, which
hrce.l and thrive i'll filth and literally swarm
in impure water. These are the source of
such deadly pests us diphthcria, typhoid and
rnalarial fevers anl Asiatic cholera. The
Importance of some method Of preventing
these dire results can hardly be overesti-
mated. Few persons have any adequate con-
celtion Of the extent to which pollution in
water exists. Even in wells it is said by
competent Observers that the water in nine
,y-iivc out Of every hundred is insanitary
and unfit for use. In the water of cities the
evils are even greater.-J. NJ French, NJ. D.,
IN Good housekeeping.