Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-07-23
WATER WE DRINK.
IT is DISCUSSED BY THE ACADEMY
or MEDICINE AND SURGERY.
A Valuable and Carefully Prepared Paper
Road by Mr.. Hugh Blnir-tsc
OF Filters Advised.

The most largely attended meeting oil
the Academy of Medicine and Surgery since
the union Of the two societies was held
last nieht in the rooms of the Academy
over the Woman's Exchange
The subject of discussion was Inc
Water We Drink" and number OF very
interesting speeches were made thereon.
Mr.. Hugh Blair. who had been selected
70 perform that duty. read very valuable
ard carefully prepared paper on TINS
tlome and IL was highly complimented tor
the thouchtiulncss displayed. lie has
given the matter much thought and re-
search.
Nr. BlaiT's paper was az follows:
Next 90 the bread question the water
question Is Of tho greatest importance to
community. Chemically pure water Is not
The most wholesome for man or other aIl-
mails. There are certain salts that belong
10 the compos ton Of the body that nature
euruhcs LARGELY in the water we drink.
Hut' no one complains of water on TINS
occouut; trouble arises from the fact that
drinking water IS often coDtamlnated WIN
saLstauces incompatible with health ana
sometimes the cause Of deadly disease. An
abundant supply OF wholesome wafer Is
one OF the greatest advantages that city
can possess.
WILL WATER.
The water obtained from tho wells IN
Richmond u unfit FOR drinking purposes
The cause o. this viii apDear when we say
f.at TWENTY-FIVE feet or less belo" our sur
i4re. ouarternary. we come TO the tertiary
formation which contains the fossil re-
mains of mollusEs aud fishes and other
animals. and also magnesia, hme, iron, SUI,
nturic acid in the form OF suiphatcs, ana
other noxious substances. not omitung the
pre,ence Of sewer leakage ana suriace CON
i.mnation which find their way TO the
wafor-bcd.
BEFORE the introduction of rver water
4 ..a,e caaracterized by sore mouth and
chronic diarrhUa was known In ldchinond;
Tne late DR.. George Watson said IL wouid
d,.qnpcar as soon as river water was useu,
and il did disappear.
YrEOTr DRINKS BEER AND VIM.
n some Of the great cities OF Europe
a. ordinary drink is beer and nsht wines
and not water, except that from cele-
lra.ed mineral springs. and the reason Tor
,i,s is the bad quality of the water supply
yalued member Of this academy says
That n was three DAYS after his arrival IN
london before he could consent to wash
h,s face because the water was 50 stlnking.
AoUEDUcTs.
Ancient and modern cities have expended
go labor and expense in bringing tnelr
,,ater from distance. New YORK, Glas-
crs and other great cities have appropria-
ted many millions OF money tor TINS pur-
,,o-e. and the ruins of the 8queducts OF
Eome and Us provinces represent marvels
ofrigsutic enterprise. The city OF Kich-
rrrni /. greatly blessed IN this respect
noble river flows at her feet, aiiordlng an
abundant supply for man and beast, not
Duly for drink. hut for oil domestic pur,
poses. Enough for steam. engines ana All
mechanical purposes, and sufficient 10 hoat
,b4 rr.ai vessels that come to our port
from near and foreign marts. ms water
IS o1orless and wholesome IN It's natural
condition. and when subjected to little
l,f.u.a and Inexpensive treatment II is
f0uui % be soft u the taste and beautiful
3. tho eve. comparing more than fayorably
with any palatable water in the world.
WHAT THE wATrR CONTAINS.
As Z, comes from the reservoir when some
what turbid James-rlver water contains
SIX grains Of solid matter to the gallon
when opalescent nearly five grains TO the
rsnun Chemistry discovers in TINS water
ft-ean substances. Laying aside awkward
decima.s we have in gallon two thirds OF
Grain carbonate of lime, half Il gram car
Donate Of magnesia. one third grain sui
phsfe of lime. one hfth grain sulphate OF
soda. one sixth grain sulphate OF potas-
SUM. one sixth grain OF chloride OF So
dunn, one twenty-hith grain posphatc oi
lime. one three-thOusandth grain ammonia,
q trace of lithia, a trace of nitric ACID. one
and q half grains silica. one gram organic
matter, one fifth grain alumina, one thlrd
grain sesquioxide of iron, and one fifteenth
grain OF sesduiOXlde manganese.
The one grain organic matter happily is
Of vegetable not animal origin.
II gf al
i,try Virginia Military Institute. was the
FIRST 10 study the chemistry of James-river
water. His very complete analyss and his
able report accompanying II attest the fact
t.af the work could not have been com
mitted 10 better hands. At ;he instance of
the Board of Health. Professor William II.
Iavlor. NJ. D.. State Chemist, made
monthly analysis during he wear 1876. and
h.s results substantially verify the analysis
Of Colonel Hardin. Dr. Taylor IN his re-
port speaks OF Colonel Hardin's work as
"very complete and able" and the same
NAV Doe sad Of the work performed by
Professor laylOr.
A QUESTION.
Vow. weask. what one of all thesubstances
tOunl ia James-rIvcr water Is injurious to
health? Nay. n all the Ingredients IN
gallon of this water were collected aud adj
minstered three times dailv for one year,
thc contrary. let II be remembered the
very substances that We swallow with this
water are more or less necessary tor the
healthy composition OF the blood. Nearly
every one OF them.
ORGANIC MATTER.
With the possible exception Of the pres
tnoo of poisonous metals. NJ river water Is
SO be- feared Ol account OF its inorganic
constituents. IL Is the organic impurity.
especially that of animal origin, that ls
dangerous. it would require too much
time to give az account OF the disease and
death. asrecor1ed N medical annals. which
va traced % organic impurlty IL the water
supply. Let the history of the recent ty-
phoid-fever epidemic that visited the town
oi iNmuuth. IN Pennsylvania, suihce. In
yiew OF the fact the following from the re-
port Of Colonel Hardin is highly encour-
eglu- The SANITARY Congress AZ brussels
decided that water. TO be good, should
not contain much more than one grain OF
Or au.c matter TO the gallon. All the
settled samples Of James-rlVer water fall
within this limit. two of the unsettled
samples somewhat exceed II. Too much
weight. however. should not be attached
On such test. for while less
than "a Grain of some kinds OF or
.ln.c matter may be preiudicial there
is n, evidence whatever that even
several grains of pcaty matter TO the gal
Jon is INJURIOUS. II is therefore matter
O. special importance 10 determine, as far
Co. possible. the nature of tho organic sub
stances. In the samples Of James-river
water submitted 10 examination these. sub:
stances are principally, Il not entirely, of
vegetable origin. This is proved by the
presence in the sediments and IN the water
Of vegetable matter and the usual products
II It's decomposition W., the so-caiied
lumus or peaty acids. IL IL also proved by
tie slowness with which permanganate of
potash is decomposed by It: by the ab-
scnce OF all tendency TO putrefaction; the
entire absence OF nitrites theinconsidera-
be quantity OF nltrates; the small guam
tty Of chloIides. and the almost lnappre-
c,ahle quantities of ammonia and nitro
geLous organic matter"
MIcBo-oBGAsrsxs.
In some parts Of our country the water
supply has been at times contaminated by
iuicro-organisms, so much SO that for one
trouble fshy or cucumber odor and
favor has been developed. ANY water.
pure ram water espee ally, to which is
added little hay or other vegetable sub