Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1895-11-19
DOMEsTIC FILrRATlON OF wArER
Ths Hospital, London

The purity of water at the
present day must be judged by
it's freedom from micro-organisms
and the criteria adopted by hyglen-
lists and sanitary authorities should
be based upon such considerations.
AS an ideal pure water is there
fore one which is absolutely ster-
lie, it is necessary to consider how
much sterllity can be readily and
safely acquired. At present the
householder must rely on his own
exertions for effecting this object,
since attempts at archaeological
publication made by the larger
towns and water supply companies
have been shown over and over
again to be useless in cases Of cpl
denies, and can only be regarded
as precautionary measures which
should be rendered as efficient as
a first line of defense can be made.
The purity of a domestic supply
can be obtained by two different
methods, viz, either by sterilizing
the water by heat or by using
some form of gieser which shall
retard the passage of all the
heterogeneous present. The
apparatus for sterilizing by heat,
or "sterilisateurs," as they are
called on the continent, are rapid
ly becoming more generally known,
and the better forms are admir-
ably adapted for the supply of
sterile water to hospitals and pub
lie institutions, while country
houses seem also to be indicated.
In dealing with the alternative
method we have, however, to insist
on the absolute necessity for
householders TO be on their guard
against relying on the efficiency of
the majority of household filters
when tested from the bacterlolog-
zeal point of view.
DIR. Sims Woodhead and Cart
wright Wood a few months ago
gave an admirable review of the
merits and dement's of the various
filters which find favor in this
country, and from their BY stemat-
ic examination of these filters
have come to the important con-
clusion that only those of the can
die type, of which the Berkefeld
and Pasteur Chamberlain filters
are the best known, fulfill modern
conditions of efficiency. Unfor.
tunately hitherto these filters have
only been of practical service
when adapted to a high pressure
of water, since their rate of filter
alton is so extremely slow under
ordinary conditions as to prac
tically negative their use. Th'
rival claims of these two forms O
candle filters have been critically
! discussed by DIR. II. H. Johnston
who in a thesis for the degree o
Doctor of Science of Edinburgh
. University last year described
/ series of experiments to decidI
this point. His general conclu
sions are worth quoting: 9Th.
) Pasteur Chamberlain filter is tn
3 best and only one on which reli
= ance can be placed for permanent
ly sterilizing water. Its use j
a therefore recommended for steril
r izing drinking water, water use
for surgical dressings, and whel
ever sterilized water is require
for any particular parpose."
In France for many years pas
this form Of filter has been use
p in the French army, and Genera
zuremden in his detailed repoi
draws attention to the fact that
decrease IN the death rate of IL
o French army from epidemic di
ir ease can be directly traced to I'll
l. adoption Of this method for pur
l. flying the drinking supply. d
10 Vallen, in an examination of Il
i typhoid epidemic which occurrC
s. in Paris IN 1894, also showed tn.
Ie this epidemic was confined
g those barracks which we're n
B. supplied with Pasteur flters,whi
y those which had these appliance
ls even with exceptionally bad waite
B. remained unattached. With.
the last few weeks the authoriti
rs at Darjeering in India have deci.
3, ed upon iltering the whole of Il
o. water supply Of that town upC
this plan, and this installation vi
&c be one Of the FIRST in which Il