The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-10-24
As TOOUR INPOUNDEDNATER
AN ANALYSIS OF OUR LAKE AND
FLOWING SPRING WATER.
VI the State University-His Mastery
Address Friday Night on the Neces-
sity and Means of Securing
Pure Water

as delivered at the University last Frida
night The question he discussed is 0
the utmost importance to every citizeI
OF Austin at this time and every ON
should give this article most carefu
reading:
Ladies and Conference.-The fact thai
there are $4,000 lives lost annually il
the United States from typhoid fever
that water constitutes 80 per cent of the
liquid portion Of the blood; that water
constitutes 20 per cent Of the corpuscles
IN circulation; that Cyrus Edison, COM
missioner Of health Of New York. recently
said that ''out Of every 100 cases of ty-
phoid fever 80 come from infected
water; and that Allen Hazen also re-
Gently said that lin parts Of Germany
where water supplies are controlled by
the government and are uniformly of ex-
cellent character, the death rate from
typhoid fever has gradually decreased
TO nothing" is sufficient reason for de-
ivering lecture to popular audience
on water supply"
Many centuries ago Hippocrates
preached the gospel Of good health and
his text was: Pure Air, Pure Water.
and Pure Soil" It has been the text
OF sanltarians for the last 1000 years
Pure air, pure water and a pure soil can
DE called the three factors Of public
health. The pure soil is necessary to the
existence OF pure air and pure water.
put II seldom receives much cOnsidpra-
tlon; and we are 10th to acknowledge
the Importance Of this factor till an epi-
demlc OF cholera, typhoid fever or some
kindred disease impresses us with its
significance. All three factors must be
considered with their proper bearing
or the result is at least doubtful. An
excellent water supply does not make
healthy city, nor does a frst-class svs-
TEN OF sewerage. Too often we are be-
guiled into thinking the problem is
solved, when in reality only one factor |
mas received attention. / can scarcely |
tell you Of the shock / felt when. on NV |
way 10 New York last spring. | read in |
the New York World that an epidemic |
OF typhoid fever had been raging at |
stamford, Conn. 1t had been one of |
the cities of America whose sewerage
system had commented on in glowing
terms TO my classes in engineering. 1t
seems that in the month of May Of this
year, typhoid fever had suddenly ap-
)eared and its cause was for some time
source of perplexity to sanitary px-
1erts called in for investigation. In
ISSS Col. George Z. Waring. probably
me abiest sanitary engineer on the
American continent. designed and con-
tructed for Stamford what was regard
ID as an ideal sewerage system. 1t at
,racted considerable attention ut the
lme and was the subject of many fav-
comments and editorials in the
Inherent engineering and sanitary jour
lals. But now, to emphasize the in
ortance OF pure water supply. let us
OoK at the report of the sanitary eX-
erts about June the LIST. After thor
ugh examination il was found that n
diluted well near the water supply was :
he cause of the epidemic. having con- d.
animated the water by underground CIR =.
thts. Upon examination it was found
nat the water, instead Of having the :
ormal amount of 1856 micro-orgapisms I
the cubic inch, it contained several !
undred thousand.
The experience of Stamford is the ex-
erience of hundreds of other cities !
'me fatal factor will be omitted from :
ne calculation. Were it not for rail q
H.
'OVements in rolling stock, in car COUP
RS and the various details of traffic: and y
ere it not for epidemics nothing would u
'er rid us Of impure water supplies and u
ties honeycOmbed with death trans in II
e shape Of ceSspoOls and other inyeu- "
1ns and subterfuges of expedency. d
Statistics are almost useless. We never Il
'lieve them. We think everybody will
except ourselves. We think that we u
e all right. We call doctors old fogies p'
we are sick. We have no use for sew tt
age systems and public supplies of pure n
lter-till we follow some of our dear u
friends to their last home. But if a
, learn by experience, if the history of | "
e world is not all lie, the text of old | u
ppocrates to US should be as true as | II
Q pons sinorum. Typhoid fever, | W
olera, etc, stand ready always to re- p.
nd us that old Hippocrates, like Eu- W
d, knew what he was talking about "
here pure water has been introduced III
public health has always told it. al
'revious to 1873, supply of Rochester, '"
L., the water was drawn from shall p p,
V wells for domestic purposes and e e.
'se, in course of time, became badly - -
luted through soil saturation. The "a "a
uration was so rank that the city de- " ~
mined to introduce q positive supply ~
water which could be used for flush co O.,
and similar purposes. This water 90
s supplied from the Genesee river and az
s not fit for drinking purposes. This 80 80
tial relief of the soil had its effect on w
public health. This supply of flush n ri'
water went into effect in January, ~,
4, but public spirit did not stop here. r ~.
1876 domestic supply from Hemlock c mH
g was introduced and the record of n noi
y tells the story, where there were Ia ia
7 two deaths per 10000 from typhoid nv, uo'
ar. Pure water and partially puri- Ii', =
soil were verifying the formula of COZ
old Greek sanitarian. 20 20
ut with all these data before us, we ,r;
It never lose sight of the fact that r. r.
'ss water supply is pure, it is like Sn ~
o prove a troublesome enterprise. If "
ply be contaminated it is of not
utmost Importance that it n iUo
purified before us. OF the ~,
hods of publication | shall speak boz
r., 1t has often happened that the orc ry
1duction of public water supply 7 "
increased the mortality. The cities vol,
-owell and Lawrence, Mass, had 7.
severe lesson in this respect few ~
$ ago. In the month of Novem- i pol.
lSoO, it was noticed that typhoid ;uSr'
was rapidly increasing in Lowell. II t. e
a few weeks later the same thing ~
FRED at Lawrence. nine miles below, n r,el
number of deaths mt Lowell with , anit
Dulation of $4,000. exceeded the num 90 90 n q
II Boston. with a population of 49, 800 60
nearly SIX times as large Lowell rofo
Lawrence take their water sunnly
the Mprrimac The nrinor, ,a,,,, |