Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-09-22
TESTING palNk,No WATER.


UssasisfActegy Results .WAisA Are sens.
tinss Oetainsd-1snssksbls Tests.
We srs giving more end moro attention
TO the purity Of drinking water % II be-
comes more apparent that infection Of al.
most every kind travels BY water. II b.
comes Of the highest importance TO know
whether the tests usually resortcd TO for
the dissection Of organic impurities arc
trustworthy. II dangerous impurities
slip past these tests, they afford no pro-
lection against the transmission Of dis.
ease germs. The eanitarian prints pa
per By Dr.. J. A. Tanner, Of Boston, giving
results Of some OF his experiments In this
direction. which may almost be called
Dr.. Tanner declares boldly that tho
water ars ''as apt to condemn . good
water a. they are 10 commend u, and to
commend an impure water whom they
should condemn H." and his statements
70 far 10 support his theory. For example.
II . per can't. Of milk or any beef extract
bc added TO . gallon OF Distilled water tho
processes will condemn u a. Impure be.
cause 10 contains organic matter. Add Q
few million Of disease germs TO gallon
Of distilled water and none Of the pro-
lcessss will discover them, because. tho
lquantity Of organic matter Il not largo
!enough. Yet 1he one mixture II entirely
harmless. and the other. II We aoccpt tho
germ theory. b dangerous. The combus.
tion process relies upon the proportions
found Of carbon and nitrogen; tho am.
monia process upon tho presence Of free
ammonia and albumoid ammonia; tho
pssrm.nsansts process y ,ua. rpSn tho .S amount
matter. All Of these tests arc extremely
delicate. and . slight inaecuracy Is enough
to cause an impure water to be rated as
pure. or the opposite.
Tho fact that they disagree wildly In
their results with the samo water is
enough TO shake faith In all OF them. DR..
Tanner shows this by reference TO tho In.
vcstigatton conducted BY Professor J.
Mallet for the national board of health
some years ago. with which he was con.
nected. Nineteen samples Of natural
water. believed from actual use to bo
wholesome. wero examined by these pro-
cesses. They agreed that ten were pot
able and three wore not, but as to six, or
one-third Of the number, they disagreed
totally. Then nineteen samples were
taken Of natural waters which there
seemed to be fair grounds for believing
have actually caused disease." But only
AOuE VI tbObo WuiO ApJoctcu 10 uuWhoto~
some; a. to nine. or one half, there was
no agreement, and six, or one-third, were
pronounced wholesome by all tho pro-
cesses. Then twenty samples were taken
of natural water OF doubtful but sus.
pected character. and a. to these tho re-
suits werc really moro unfavorable than
as to tho waters known to be dangerous.
The most remarkable Of all the tests
were with twenty samples Of good watcr,
to which were added various pollutions.
such rs sewage from various sources.
black vomit and like offensive and poison.
GUS substances. Only eight OF these
samples. less than half, wero condemned
by all tho processes; as to nine the ro-
ports did not agree, and three the pro.
cesses actually concurred In pronouncing
good. Water, to which enough Of weak
mixed sewage from large public sewer
had been added to create. IL was believed,
serious danger Of I. ph0!d, was pro-
nounced TO be of great organic purity by
two processes. and good" by the third
A larger admixture Of the same sewage,
as much a. o per cont. was pronounced Of
medium" quality by two processes. and
"bad" by only one. Even moro striking
examples could be given. Yet tho Same
processes condemned - impure the Lake
Drummond water from tho Dismal
swamp, which Il In part tho water sup
ply Of Portsmouth,, Va. and tho Cochitu-
ato Of Boston. simply because Of the
presence of vegetable matter contributed
by leaves, roots. stc.-New York Tribune.