Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-12

tnr1V0 ana i've IOr some Cme In that MUD. and
If the water is polluted they increase and thus
become sources of great danger and infection.
Typhoid fever. cholera, malaria, diphtheria and
most of the diarrh9as are spread through our
water supply. and it is on this fact that
wish You to dwell Each one Of you can assist
in spreading or checking this dis
ease, particularly typhoid and cholera. and
do it just as well the ablest sanltarium-
if you will. II you have friend, or know
Of any one suffering with typhoid fever, warn
the attendant not to throw the objections Of
the patient in the closet or cesspool or on the
ground without first killing the disease germs
with boiling water, quicklime or bichloride Of
mercury solution. BY doing this you will have
done a noble work. Typhoid fever should not
exist in a community, and when it does it is
due to carelessness or ignorance on the part OF
the people. The water is infected and through
this source the disease is spread. The same
applies to cholera. Typhoid is here in Wash
ington, and increasing, as shown by the statis-
tics. 1t should be reduced. il not obliterated,
and can be by more careful attention to our
water. Beware Of springs and wells in q
thickly populated community. Remember
what have told you about the excreta from
the typhoid patient. The sewage, drains
and surface washings convey the
germs to the water supply; if not
to our wells or our springs, to our river. And
perhaps some poor sailor or fisherman, who
quenches his thirst In the Potomac below US
ID pSoOucu ne OOeb uOt slCkeu OF ul0 ucEe,
but far from here, maybe at his home in city,
village or in country, he infects a well or spring
and others suffer or die. This is no fancy
sketch. Flint reports an investigation made
at a little village few miles from Buffalo called
North Boston. in which a traveller infected the
water supply Of the village. First case twenty
five days after arrival. Within one month half
the population of the village was smitten with
the disease; ten died. The only family not
affected was one that had their own we'll, and
owing to q quarrel was not allowed water from
the common supply. To produce disease tea
cupful of bacteria is not essential. A single
germ Of typhoid or cholera is just as effectual
as hundred, il it lodge in the right place.
will give you statement that will perhaps in
terest you about one little bacterium SO insig-
nlicant that it only measures one one thou
sandth of an inch, still 1t multiplies with such
startling rapldlty that many Of you will DE
startled by the calculation made by an eminent
biologist Under suitable conditions the little
bacillus would, in less than five days, marshal
an army Of its kindred SO vast that they would
completely fill an area equal to all the oceans
on this earth to depth of one mile.
OUR OWN WATER SUPPLY.
sour water supply is ample and analysis shows
it to be good potable water; but, remember,
we are a growing community. The water shed
Of the Potomac is sparsely populated, but the
banks Of the streams above us may become the
sites Of great factories and towns, and our
river may become like the Schuylkill at Phila-
delphia, or our water supply like that Of New
York. Be neither frightened nor lulled into
apathy by what tell you. lido not wish to alarm
but to arouse you by stating a few simple facts
l do not wish you to think that because flowing
water purifes itself, sewer contamination
when largely diluted are harmless, or that be-
cause dangerous disease germ Ia not found in
the water these dangers do not exist. We want
you, individually and collectively, to render all
your assistance in keeping 1t pure: to make il
better than it is. and bestow little thought
upon any suggestions or new knowledge on the
subject and impart it to your friends and
acquaintance. This will cost you nothing
Suppose we glance at the financial side
OF the question Of pure water. for it has a large
bank account that should be considered. We
will take typhoid alone. A very low estimate
has been made of the value Of the life of an
average individual to be 81, 200, SO when we
consider that 10000 persons die every year
In the United States Of this disease, we
find an annual loss to the country Of $40 900. 0O0
Besides. there are 400, 900 cases Of this disease
| in our country each year, which add several
millions more We're an estimate made Of the
annual loss to the country by disease caused
by impure water the figures would swell the
amount to such stately sum that it would be
difficult to realize. The city Of Washington
loses annually the sum Of Sos, 900, an amount
in less than three years sufficient to pay for a
tiltering plant that would give US the best and
purest water possible from our river. Is no,
this worthy Of serious thought of every citizen
and does it not call for an effort to secure it:
Washington. the capital Of this great nation
! should be the model city OF the country in every
department Of life, and particularly that
division appertaining to the preservation of
health and prolongation Of healthy life."