Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-02

| layer of the SOIL end with pulverized dust
gain access to the system.
1t has been provkntOver and over again
| that while the rate Nof typhoid fever d.
minished after the Introduction of good
water supply, theu effects are still more
marked when combined with a good sys-
| tenn of sewers. 80. ...-. -t-..--.
Potomas, Water.
What is the relate n if any, between Po-
tomac water and the prevalence of typhoid
fever in the Distrista While the Potomac
water compares very favoraby as re-
CARDS purity with other rivers, there is
much reason for believing that it is not
at all times free from danger. There are,
of course, number of competent men
who on account of the character of it's wa
ter shed and the comparative absence of
large towns above the intake believe there
is little or no danger from specific contain
nation, especially as none of the towns are
sewred; these towns range from A to 125
miles in distance from the city; they ap-
pear, however, to disregard the contami-
mating influence Of a town or of settle
ments on rivers, which has been well es-
tablShed by chemical and meteorological
analysis. We have the meteorological ex-
aminations of Theobald Smith to show that
turbidity Of the Potomac water is always
accompanied by larger amount of organic
matter and germs and that faecaI bac-
terra and turbidity are also coihcident, and
there cannot be a successful concealment
of the fact that the same showers that
bring to us large sections of pulver;zed
river banks also wash through barn yards
cesspools and outhouses before finding
their way through creeks to the Potomac
and the reservoirs. While it is true that
so far no typhoid fever germs have been
isolated from the Potomac the bacterio-
logical eyaminat tons conducted by DIR. Kin
youn during the past two months have re-
peatedly demonstrated the presence of
the colon bacillus. and this, too, when the
water was perfectly clear. This same con-
dtion has been observed in the bacterio-
logical Investigations conducted last year
at the Army Medical Museum, and Dr. Bill
Engs in speaking of these results said: "At
certain times of the year the river water
is so loaded with sediment as to be unfit
for bathing, as well for drinking and
cooking purposes; it contains faecal bacilli
at all times, although these are probably
for The most part derived from the
creta of horses and cattle and not of man.
And it is probable, although not proven,
that it at times contains organisms or sub
stances capable of producing diarrhoea in
persons not accustomed to it's use, and the
typhoid bacillus is not absolutely excluded
from il. although it has never been actual
ly found in it,
This is the conservative statement of one
of most competent Sanitarians, in an
address to the Medical Society of the Dis
trict of Columbia, delivered October ~ 1884.
| have had grave suspicious for several years
that some of the faecal bacteria were derived
from human eNcreta, and desired to COLI
vince myself by personal inspection in the
present investigation, but time and the
emergency fund were limited circular was
addressed to physicians residing in ten
towns along the Potomac or its tributaries,
asking for information.
The Water Supply.
After giving the replies received from
physicians, DR.. kober continues:
THE records of your office show that ty
phoid fever prevailed to an unusual extent
in this city from December. 1889, to April,
30. 1890, the deaths for these months
from typhoid fever amounted to a, as COM
pared with ~ for the corresponding months
of the previous year.
1t is clear that a river. after it receives
the sewage CT a number of towns, cannot
be as pure as before, and the question
naturally arises, can river once polluted
ever be safe source of supply below the
purification of rivers has been earnestly
studied. and the conclusion has been reach
ed that a certain degree of publication is
possible by natuI al means. viz:
l. DilutiCn of the sewage with clean or
unpoluted water which emptieS into the
stream along its course.
.. BY deposition Of the suspended matter,
carrying with it some of the organic ma
terial. +..tl
3. By the agency of fish, water plants,
algae and infusoria, which require organic
matter for their food,
4. BY the bacteria of notification, which
are 50 largely Instrumental in the process
of oNida ton of organic matter. 1t has
been shown that the mere presence of oXy-
gen in water without these bacteria does
not lead to a percpptible diminution of
organic matter, e D..
). The rapidly of oxidation Is Influenced
by the volume of organic matter present,
the temperature Of the water. the distance
of the run: also whether the stream has a
wide surface exposed to the sun and air,
the rapidity of the current and the char
acter of the river bed.
The various factors named are cacu-
lated to purify the water in our river, pro-
vided We give it a chance, but with. in
creasing settlements it is possible that
practically here, as elsewhere, the pollu-
ton becomes continuous from It's source to
the reservoir. The statement of DIR. Tidy
and other chemists who declare that even
flow of even ten or twelve miles is suffi-
Client to free river of all trace of sewage
contamination is no longer credited, eSpe-
Cially since the Massach usettS state board
of health for 1876 reports an outbreak of
typhoid fever in a hospital using river
water. which was traced to an infected
barracks twenty-five miles uD the stream.
LAS We can hardly believe that pollution
Is tolerated IL close proximity to the intake
or our river water, l submit that the al
lloSt constant present of faecal bacteria
is evidence of some distant source of pollu-
ticn, and that they have not been destroy
ed by the agencies which are believed to he
al StlHcieht by the advocates OF the
theory of self-purification by streams.
While it is true that the specific germs
of typhoid fever have never been demon
strated in Potomac water. it is equally
true that they We're not demonstrated in
the well at Takoma which infected eleven
persons where the bacteriologist simply
found the Colon bacillus, which is Il posi-
tive evidence of faecal contamination. But
all this is not very surprising when it is
considered that the best bacteriologists fire.
quently fail to find the germs of typhoid
fever under conditions strongly suggestive
Al their presence. Surely We ought not to
ut until they are demonstrated in the
| spfggots of our homes. This is not a mat
| ter of theory. but it is the consensus of
| opinion of those best qualified to judge
| that while stream. under favorable coadi-
tons, undergoeS a certain degree of self
publication, we cannot rest satisfied that
| dangerous contamination does not exist,
| ard such water is unsafe foc drinking
purposes, unless it has been subjected to
filtration by means of fltering beds. The
necessity for publication is clearly appar-
| ent from the evidence presented by physi-
clans residing along the original source of
| pollution. The effects of pure water
| supply upon the decrease of typhoid. fever
| has been abundantly demonstrated in
1 too \ 70, hot tAt.