New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-20
BACTERIA IN WiTER.

Professor Raw Lancaster has given us, III soihe
rocent addresses a most interesting ana instr'lc-
two roview Of what has thus far been learned
ohout ba,toria and their relation to the health
of man That that relation is intimate is no
lonocr 4 matter Of doubt Nothing is moro GER
,oin In medical and biological science than thA'
various diseases are directly caused by the III
,roductlon Of specific bacteria into the human
svstem and their prrncious activity ther'.
Among such diseases are anthrax. CHAMBERS, To-
tanus. tuberculosis leprosy diphihcria' Npho'"
foyer Asiatic cholera and the deadly "relaxihS
Favor. of the East There may. of course. be
,orv disooses not caused by bacteria ana there
ara many bacteria that are not injurious Dnt
ovor hencfcent 70 human health as destroyerS
Of noxlous germs. But that many of our worst
nl,g,os are induced by bacteria is established
beyond cavil. -
rho discosc.lnLlcing bacteria are taken mo
the system in various ways, but chieh! III i'o''
and drink. Water is perhaps the conmohes'
medium. II is the especial venice ior 'ne ii'''
ducton of typhoid and cholera germs r'op'e
having regard for their welfare. therefore, ""'''
such plaques are rife, seek the purest water o''
tainablc In this. however they sometimes err
Professor Lancaster tells us that such pi''''"'
will live and thrive and multiply in the pur'S''
even IN distilled. water provided. OF co"r''' ''i,'
thev once get into It. On the other nailh III oi''-
nary river water, turb!d and impure they QUICK
" persh. The reason Of this seeming ahoilAi!
is simple The river water Is sWarmhS Win
other bacteria which are innocuous to man. D"'
which are rclcntlessly hostile TO the cholera anu
tvnhoid germs This fact has, the PROFESSOR
saws. been asccrtainel beyond dispute ana Il
seems TO reveal a singuarly Dcautiful ana p'h'h-
cent provision Of Nature for mans safety WIZ
ont which the lakes and rivers OF the Woriu
would soon become hopelcSsly polluted ana me
rovagcs Of diseases incomparably more deadly
and extensive than at present.
Those facts lead To n consideration of the qles-
,ion Of dlterng water II done properly such Il
process Is highly valuable. The great inter pens
Of sand used by the London water companies
transform foul wafer into an cXceptlohlH!
wholesome supply. They do This NOT H''h'n
ically. by straining the water through minute
intersticcs. but they have what we might term
an aseptic or even a biological, acton INV
lower layers Of sand become coated Win J'hs-
lilo masses Of bocteria-ihat Is. of the ordinary.
,,,.refoctive bocreria \ purist might think
those foulel the filters ON the contrary, 'h'H
give them their real efficiency. The water HAS
to pcrcolatc through these layers of bact'rl@ anu
os T. doos SO the noxious bacteria IT may have
contained are infallibly destroyed. THIS Is nor
tho case in the ordinary domestic litter, except
p.rhaps. with reference to typhoid germs Inc
Inter may be intercepted and destroyed. 80
far as all others are concerned the filter Is more
ant 10 I'll the water with them than TO rld IL OK
them. Professor Lancaster tells us that every
domestic filter in which the same filtering ma
toria is used again and again should he sterllzed
by boiling every day. II not, within week II
will become regular nursery for bacteria. and
increase their number In the ''iiltered water
hundred-fOld.
II Is well known, Of course. that bacteria in
duce disease only in those persons whose tissues
arc in receptive or morbid state. Some persons
may drink cholera germs by the pint with I'M
punItv because their organs and tissues are III
such condition Of health as To be able 10 resist
their attacks. How the tissues are made sus-
ceptiblc 10 morbific influences is an interesting
field ~ inquiry Sometimes II is by general ana
chronic constitutional changes. Sometimes II J.
Lax acute attacks If otherwise triiling ailments.
\ util, unsound frui,. for example which OF IT.
sole vnull cause but slight disorder. may prepare
the soil for the rapid and fatal propagation or
cholera germs. Curou>ly enough, too. just AS
some blcreria destroy others 50 some prepare the
way for others. and assist them In their deadly
work, The common bacteria of putrcfaction are
harmless. and 50. taken alone. are those Of te-
tauus But the one prepares the system for the
reception Of the other and The two together 90
disastrous work Happily. too, it is possible by
artificial means 10 fortify the system against
morbihc bacteria and render it practically I'M
munc. and also to poison and destroy the bac-
tcrla after they have been introduced The
power to do this appears To reside largely in the
serum Of the blood. and in the thyroid gland.
and from the study OF these and other anti
bacterial agents Professor Lancaster expects 10
Sc. some Of the greatest future triumphs of the
healing art.