Evening star., 1895-07-13
GERMS IN THE WATER
Dr.. Kobsr Thinks There is Danger
From Them Here.
he STRONGLY URGES FILTRATION
The Cost Not Too Great for the
National Capital.
THREATENED FROM UP RIVER


to palliate the faults of the present muddy
water supply has gone too far when he de-
clares that the supply is by no means un-
wholesome and is as good as is drawn from
any American river This. too, in the face
of the fact, that all writer's on hygiene
agree that the consumption of water con-
tanning much clay and mari will at certain
times of the year produce diarrhoea This
seems to be sufficiently good objection
to the use of muddy water, and one not
easily overcome by arguments against fl
tration works for purely economical
reasons. But when we remember that
the archaeological examinations con-
Quoted by DIR. TheobaId Smith have shown
that turbidity of the Potomac water is al
ways accompanied by q larger amount of
organic matter and germs, and that fecal
bacteria and turbidity were concident, we
have, indeed, a very proper objection
the use of muddy water The sources of
this contamination were clearly stated in
your editorial, when you declare there can
not be successful concealment of the fact
that the same showers that bring to us
large sections of pulveriZed river banks
wash through barnyards and cesspools and
other undesirable places before finding
their way through creeks to the Potomac
and the reservoirs.
Timely Comment.
'Tn the light Of our knowledge as to the
dissemination Of disease germs, especially
Of typhoid fever and of cholera, through
the medium of the water supply. your COM
ment could scarcely be more to the point.
That the excreta from a single typhoid
patient have frequently poisoned the water
supply of a whole neighborhood is well
established by the history of numerous
epidemics. The typhoid epidemic at Plym-
outh. Pa, In 1885 and which affected over
1,1OO persons was traced to man who
contracted the disease elsewhere, returned
to his home in January, 1885, and was for
many weeks quite i'll. The dejecta of this
case were thrown along the sloping banks
of a mountain stream, where they accumu-
lated and remained dormant upon the snow
and frozen ground until some time between
March 25 and April 1. when, under the
influence of thaws, they were washed into
the mountain stream, and carried into the
reservoir below. which supplied the town
with water. There Is every reason to be-
lieve that the water, with its typhoid fever
poison, was distributed from the reservoir
between March 2S and April 8. The first
case Of typhoid fever was reported April 8,
large increase occurred after April 10. OF
the /, ,F4 cases. I13 were taken sick in April.
261 in May, So in June. 81 in July, and 10 in
August. The gravity of the earlier cases
was especially noticeable between April
10th and 2Oth and some medical gentle
patients seemed brimful of the poison. It
is a notable fact that those using water
from other sources were largely exempt
from the scourge. The effects of the con-
ing agent is clearly shown, not only by the
Intensity of the symptoms of the earlier
cases. but also by the fact that during the
week beginning April IL from so to 100
new cases appeared daily, and on one day
alone 200 new cases were rep ported
Col Elliot quotes Drs. Busey and Wales
to the effect that so far no typhoid fever
or other disease germs have been found in
the Potomac water and that the five forms
of heterogeneous observed by DR.. Wales
in his meteorological examinations were all
innocuous and generally present in all river
water.
Hacilli in the Water.
'It is, of course, very gratifying that 40
far no typhoid fever or other disease germs
have been found in the water but my i'm
preston is that the meteorological examin-
ations conducted under DIR. ]. S. Billings
at the Army Medical Museum last year lso-
lated over fifty different species or varieties
of bacteria from the Potomac water, ard
that it contains fecal bacilli at all times,
and whilst these are probably largely de-
rived from horses and COWS, they are sug-
gestive of dangerous pollution, and strongly
point to the possibility of infection with
typhoid bacilli, if present in localities
washed by the Potomac and it's branches.
THE search for disease germs in water
supply is very much like looking for a
needle in haystack. 1t would lead us
too far to point out the many reasons why
the meteorological examination of Potomac
water has so far failed to demonstrate the
presence of disease germs, but there are
numerous epidenIics of typhoid fever end
cholera on record which We're clearly
traced to the water supply, and in by far
the majority of instances the bacteriolo,ist
utterly failed to demonstrate the presence
of these germs In a few rare instances
this link in the chain of evidence has been
furnished, but 1t will be well for those who
invariably exact it, and completely ignore
the reports, many Of which are master
pieces of medical logic, to remember that
one reason why they have not been more
frequently found is because we have not
sufficiently often looked for them, "A matter
which requires a most thorough and sys-
tematic investigation extending over a
period of years. Another reason lies in the
fact that by the time are able to con-
meet certain epidemic with particular
water supply, days and sometimes weeks
will have elapsed, the germs have been dis
tributed, they are probably exhausted ard
thus a most opportune time for their de-
lection will have been lost.
I'VE know that typhoid fever Is caused
by living GERM which is eliminated from
the body in living state and if thrown
without disinfection into a country or viii
lage clubhouse or along the banks of
stream or into sewers emptying into the
river, which ultimately serves for our
water supply, the germs may gain access
to the drinking water, and If the condition
of the system Is favorable for their pro-
liberation, cause the disease in question.
1t has been estimated that single germ
by growth and subdivision is capable of
producing over sixteen millions of similar
germs in twentyfour hours. On no other
theory except the germ theory can we
explain the occurrence Of typhoid fever
epidemics spread through the water and
milk supply. If We reject the germ theory
we will, indeed, be forced to the conclu-
sion that fecal and putrescible matter when
present in milk or water in infinitesimal
dilutions is capable Of producing typhoid
fever A poison may produce sickness and
even cause death, but it cannot infect, be-
cause 1t cannot reproduce itself. For these
and other reasons we should not question
the possibility Of the presence Of such
germs, simply because they have not yet
been found in our supply.
Every one is familiar with the fact that
the cholera epidemic Of Hamburg in 1892
was attributed to a contaminated water
supply, yet all the combined efforts Of Ger
man scientists failed to demonstrate the
presence of the cholera bacillus. The city
received It's supply from the river Elbe,
and at that time the pumping station was
so located as virtually to permit diluted
sewage being pumped into the reservoirs.
The epidemic was limited to Hamburg, al
most sparing the neighboring cities Of Wal
deck and Altoona, exposed to the same cll-
matte conditions and possessing the same
soil, but having their own separate water
supplies But what is more DR.. Posner Of
Berlin informs us that the cases Of cholera