Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-22
PURE WATER NEEDED.
DIR. Mundorff Predicts an Increased Death
Rate il Better Drinking Water Isn't
Suppiied-His Ideas as to How 1t Could
Ha

DIR. Mundorff Predicts an Increased Death
Rate il Better Drinking Water Isn't
Suppiied-His Ideas as to How 1t Could
Be Procured.
DR.. Edgar A. Mundorff again denounces
the deficiency of the water works in this
city "The present outlook of the water
question" he says, sis not hopeful one. In
a corresponding sense, the outlook for the
usual future epidemics and increased death
rate among the people is good. 1t is sad to
contemplate that while the march of material
improvements has gone on apace with the
correspondingly better outlook for the ap-
plication and practice of sanitary provi-
sions, our people still find themselves the
credulous victims of morbid causes that
wise sanitary measures would get rid of.
at is a trite remark that disease may
have q three-fold source-operating, sepa-
rately or conformity, in the earth, the water
and the atmosphere. The distribution OF
disease germs may take place through the
atmosphere as they drift hlther ana thlther
from o remote region, and our last epidemic,
the grip it is safe to say, came upon us
as an invasion of swarm of disease
germs through this mediam- For public
calamities coming upon us through atmos-
pheric diffusions there are no preventa-
tives. For public calamities coming upon
us through disease-contaminated soil there
are within reasona BILE limits, tolerably sure
preventatives. But for public calamities
coming upon us through disease-saturated
water there appears to be absolutely no pre-
ventative, if we may judge from the fact
that during the past ten years $4,000
people have been forced to sicken them
selves with it, and in many instances
die from it. because use s1paa pure poosa water eF
Health, with the courage and power of au-
thority to make it so, when it is dealt out as
an article of merchandise.
But the incon siStencieS apparent in the
application of corrected measures in other
departments of sanitary reform are clearly
shown here in the solution of the vexed i'm
pure water problem. But in order that we
may discover upon whose shoulders lies the
remissness in the discharge of the public
duty of enforcing sanitary precautions
in the selection of our water
supply we must bear in mind that the State
Board of Health reflects, in its views and
works, the desires of the people. Hence, if
$4,000 people continue to use liquid filth to
dusncn S1 ana gsy ns Peeabs Fsea b of
done to their sorrow in the past, we need
not marvel that Boards of Health would let
the work of publication lie idle.
"a passing glance at the present condi-
tion of things will reveal to an impartial
observer where the true difficulty in the
way of this reform lies, and that is
disgraceful as the facts may be to our en-
Iightened, c-spiritedness-we, the peo-
pie, have not the moral courage to face
stockjobbing water works companies, and
demand from them, as an equivalent for our
water taxes, pure water. The principle of
honest dealing that we conform to in our
dealings of man to man is universally held
to be right and it is only when the parties
forming the contract are individuals on one
side and corporate body on the other
that the principle of honest deal
ing appears to fails of application.
Passing over the peculiar construction of
this logic, we are at least safe in asserting
that a human life in Pittsburg is of as much
value as that of q citizen of New York or
Boston; that while those cities recognize
the necessity of caring for the health of the
people in them, this city rests content with
occasional admonitions to the water works
that good water should be supplied through
their MAINS"