Los Angeles herald., 1891-09-01
THE SOLDIERS HOME
Startling Facts Concerning
It's Water Supply.
Statements of Scientific Men and
Public Officials.
Water Pronounced "Unfit for the
Human Stomach"
Is the Institution a Home or q Charnel
House?
Is the Institution Home or a Charnel
House?

baiu mStHOus prevailing dG IldJ lu6JlUu-
tion. Since the publication of these
statements further facts have come to
the knowledge of this paper, which
show even a worse condition of affairs
than has heretofore been suspected by
the general public. 1t is but proper and
just that all the facts be made known,
no matter on whose shoulders the blame
may fall.
The most serious evil now affecting
the home seems to be bad water, and a
scarcity OF even the unwholesome fluid
with which the institution is furnished.
That the water in use there is unwhole-
some and positively detrimental to
health, no person can doubt after an
impartial investigation. Months ago it
was condemned by competent scientific
authorities, and its poisonous qualities
were reported to the board of managers.
A change for the better was promised,
but the public and the suffering victims
are beginning to take such. promises
with grain of salt. "Hope deferred"
aud bad water make not only the
heart but the stomach sick; hence the
inmates of the home and their numer-
GUS outside friends are becoming Justly
indignant over the continued neglect of
such a vital mater. Some time ago
quantity of this water was carefully an
alyzed by Prof. E. w. Hilgard, of the
University of California, who is certain
ly good authority in such matters. Prof.
Hilgard reported that the water con-
tains more solid mineral substances
than ''any human stomach can bear"
He adds the statement that filtration
will not improve it a particle" Wade
& Wade, the well-known analytical
chemists of this city, also made a scien-
tific examination of the water, and de-
clared that "the water is totally unfit
for either domestic or irrigating pur-
poses."
1t is currently reported that the sup
ply of water is 80 meagre as to result in
only a partial flushing of the sewers.
Certain it is that when a HERALD repre-
sentative visited the home, there was a
most villainous stencil emitted from the
sewers.
Surgeon-General Smart also reported
unfavorably as to the quality of the
water. Quoting further from Prof.
Hilgard's report: 'The water is alto
gether unfit for domestic use, on ac-
count OF its purgative character and high
mineral contents generally. A total Of
fifty-six grains of the latter, of which
fourteen and one-half is epson salt,
over seven glauber salt, twelve more
gypsum, is more than any human
stomach can tolerate for any length of
time without serious disaster"
Wade d Wade said that the water
contains seventy-nine grains of solid
matter to the gallon, the greater por-
ton OF which is alkaG. According to
an analysis of water supplied in Los An
geles by the Citizens Water company,
the solid matter in that disreputable
fluid is less than thirty-seven grains per
gallon. Think of the Soldiers home
people being compelled to drink water
infinitely worse than that which runs
through the pipes of the Citizens Water
company!
The board of managers of the national
homes for disabled soldiers, in their re-
port to congress, presented last Novem-
Der, mentions this water and its effects
thus; 1.-The water is pleasant to the
taste, but it is hard Its analysis shows
seventy-nine grains of solid matter to
the gallon. Alkalies constitute
the largest portion of the solids, and are
present in rather too large quantities
to render the water fit for drinking
purposes" -.
Scales form rapidly in the hues of
boilers, to such an extent as to necessi-
tate excessive firing, which strains and
Injuries the boilers.''
The question here suggests itself: If
iron boilers become coated and injured
by such water what must be its effect on
hr7pa okn
compelled to use it have their stomachs
lined with copper in order to protect
them from injury? 1t would seem that
not even the ideal ''cast-iron stomach"
would be proof against the ravages of
such water.
Mr. Guy G. Manville, veteran of the
late war, who lived in the cafion where
the source of the present water supply
is located, says that after trying for six
years to use the water for domestic pur-
poses he found it impossible to do so
safely, unless it was first prepared by
applying some chemical to modify the
mineral hardness.
In view of all this testimony there
seems to be no room to doubt that the
water with which the Soldiers home is
supplied is unwholesome and ac-
tually poisonous. The death re-
ports of the institution also
corroborate the statements above
quoted. There are seven Soldiers homes
in the United States, all under the gen
era supervision of a national board OF
managers. The one in this county is
the only home west OF the Rocky noun
tains. With the superior climatic con-
ditions prevailing here, this ought to
make the best showing of any IN the
list as regards the health of those who
live in it. But instead of this, the death
rate at the Santa Monica home greatly
exceeds that of any other similar insti-
tuition in the land. This startling fact
appears from the official reports to con-
gress by the board of managers, accord
ing to which the death rate of this insti-
tuition is nearly double that of any other.
Several months ago the attention OF
United States Attorney-General Miller
was called to the matter, and he inti-
mated that the evil would be remedied
in some way; but it still exists. Neither
the federal courts nor the local authori-
ties OF Los Angeles county have jurisdic-
tion to act in the case. At least they
claim not TO have, and so nobody does
anything about it officially.
Surely the board of managers have
power to act, and it Jocks as if they ought
TO take action Immediately on a matter
involving the health and lives of nearly
200 disabled ex-soldiers, who are beiug