New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-20
MEDICAL AND SURGICAL NOTES.

LEAD PIPES IN CONTACT WITH DHlNhlNG
WATER discussing the important fact that the
drinking water Of sheffield, Eng, is made acid from
certain source and account of its containing leso
has given rise much disease and SUFFERING some VI
the local physicians have advised the use OF limestone
10 counterfeit the acdy, and the effect OF the hmes'o"
Is also Increased by the addition of quicklime As w
the sctIon Of water upon lead in pipes. the primary
fact IS, Of course well known that wator g@leray
contains a certain amount Of carbonc acd. ana 's'
acting upon the inner surface of the pipe FORMS a"
insoluble internal coat of oxy-carbonate OF lead WIN"
esectuaIy prevents the water from further acting
upon the pipe on this account, old pipes. which nave
been down for years far less dangerous than new
ones Again, Il is found that water which contains
lime salts as the carbonates and sulphatcs also assists
In forming interior insolublc coating as inc Ear
donates and suphaes unite with The lead new pt ~
are liable 20 be acted upon by the oxygen whch te
water contains, a soluble oxide being formed WING"
contaminates the water.
PURIFYING sEWAGE.-It appears that the methoo oil
treating public sewage by the porous carbon process
inaugurated some time ago at Southampton Eng'S"'
has proved highly satisfactory. Reservoirs "er0
constructed, where the sewage of some thli'eon
thousand of the population is collected; ana heie II
mixed with a small proportion Of porous carbon when
precipitates the solid matter and gives an ehueh'
water so clear colorless, and inodorous ihai some
persons have tasted IT, The merit OF the mn mn
DoVder Is said be that II Is rich IN aNdIdpS
iron alumina and carbon, and is singulary eHech'o
as a preci pitan besides It's chemical attHb"'c9 J."
possesses also the physical one of extreme PoiOsIg
mus rendering tine oXygcnatiOn of organic matter"
held I'm suspension very rapd.-the Importance Oh l'
point being that. unlike sewage treated WIN T I'm,
there IS no secondary decomposition sci up 10 Pul-u0
the rivers into which the cllucnt water IS poutu
From the reservoirs the residuum OF the sewage y Cu
veyed. by means of the pneumatic eJec'or' 'nrVusn
ppcs 10 the sanitary works. about mile distant rom
The tanks where it is mixed with town swecpng' anu
refuse, forming valuable manure OF ready sd az
of the sludge that cannot be got rid OF Is uestrUIC
Instructors" which have been erected on inc "oN'
RACE DISEASES WHITES AND BLA'Ns-
AS the result Of extended observations, lhcluu'"s
thousands OF cases. thirtysx per cent being negroes anu
uulattoes DIR. l. McLane Tiffany, of Baltimore mus
some marked differences in the diseases OF wh'es anu
blacks Thus spinal carries Is more frequently locs''o
in the dorsal region Of the negro, ana cureu o"'0
of Potts disease Mn the middle aged negro is NorS
rare dislocatjons are more frequent In the "hle, d.
ts also lateral curvature of the spine; krloiu - oS
actcrstically moro frequent in the negro HhcWiSC
lpoma sebaceOus cyst, lightweight per cent al'o's
whites. and though Dr. Tiffany mas never SOU -
epIthelioma of the lip any part OF the lace III a
negro ostcO-sarcOma Is often met with i'll ho Ia'o.
In hosptal Cases the negro bears operations nc'I' a.
a rule than the whites. but their reaction htCr az
denis is not so good that Of the latter d. iiDSN
concludes that surgical affections pursue uHeitu,
courses In the white and>c Olored races uhder
hvglenic surrounding; that surgical diseases lNoNs
the lymphatic system especially tubeVular arr mIio
fatal in negroes than in whites. that cohteHldi u"
Families are more in negroes man III "Hl"'
and that surgical differences observed between negroes
and whites due TO racial peculiaritleS'