Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-03-19
DANGERS OF WATER.
SERIOUS DISEASES CONTRACTED
THROUGH TT WHEN POLLUTED.
Precautions Every Householder
should Take to Protect the Hcnith
~ ,ho r,mtIx-uoiIIng Water for
Thirty Minutes VIII Purify 1t.
written for the Dlspatch)


the luxury OF palaces, railroads a's'heN'
| civilization. or political strife. but ne GER
talnly drank pure water. He ala not nave
20 nav big taxes for the privilege OF
| having II carried through iead-pipes from
! streams polluted by house ana barh-
waste, nor did he have 10 boil H. LUCKY
| indeed. was primitive man. and lucky
to-day the housewife who knows her
drinking water comes from pure, crystdl
sgring, safe in the depths OF some wooH-
land. untouched by the vandaiisuc mana
of progress. Such water was meant by
that first great sanitarian, Hippocrates'
when he named pure water as the
first Of the three requisites Of long life.
Nninetoenth century advantages ar
terribly offset by the vitlated fluid We
drink. There is scarcely a city through
out the world that can boast q an abb
solutcly pure supply. As. for instance
London Is supplied by two srossly-pol
luted streams, but a scientific hlfatoh
makes It almost harmless.
The United states has about a tehth as
much money invested In water-Works "S
in railroads. a good commentary upon tne
EitdL lIllpl tdlltf VI NANNA ~Nl't'''
its attendant dangers.
DISEASES BRED IN WATER.
Biology has made It very clelr that
there are several very serious diseases
contracted only through polluted water.
Typhoid-fevcr. which Kills about aoWp
people every year I'm tn United states.
stands first as one 10 Doe dreaded Unlike
| cholera. another w7tcr disease which as
q rH.aH ~
plague. typhoid dccelvcs by It's IN
ciplency. working Its deadly way unno-
ticol sometimes for weeks before the
victim IS aware Of its actual presence.
Next to such decisive action ~ the ty-
phOid m.crObr cXcrts upon the physical
| forces comes those other less fatal but
quite important mlladies known nc "en-
ter.c disorders" These are invariably
the direct result OF contaminated water.
They make themselves evident by ndige
ton. nausea. fafulency. diarrh0ca. and
even lead to dyaortery and more pro-
long.d troubles. All sorts Of causes are
ascrihcd by those who DO not consider
drinking water as al al, dangerous. Be-
| cause the water looks clear and has D.
smell or sediment. 1t Is believed To b. al
right. whereas those points are scarcely
OF any value as designating purity
one of the oldest most beautiful, moss
covered wells in the country supplied
crystal sweet. and apparently perttc;
water 10 a family for "A century OF au-
cestors. until one day stranger was
taken down with typhoid a mile away
lie had brought the typhoid WIN him from
some PARKWAY place. bat before he Tee
covered that "mQss-coVercI bucket hdi
carried typhoid 10 every member Of the
family who drank of the old well. Tn"
seepage from the clubhouse Of the farm
"a mile away, went straight e. the '!I
well by an underground CHANNEL me
ancestral well has lost its glory, and ID
tombstone marks it's last offspring of
affection instead of the peace ana JOY
Of a hundred years. This Is but one 81
millions OF instances occurring over the
whole land constantly. We need 10 awake
To- the fact that civilization has increase
our burdens not one of which is OF
greater importance than our water-sup-
ply. ..
CHANCES OF PURITY.
Water obtained from artesian-wells.
deep woodland springs. rivers in Wild
countries and rain-water, gathered AFTER
the first fifteen minutes Of fall, is likely
20 he purer and contain few bacteria.
Cistcrn-water, which necessarily gathers
all the dirt and leaves from roofs. must
be guarded against II should be boiled
for thirty minutes before drinking, or
scientifically filtered.
Wells within a hundred feet of the
house may be- pure. but there Is great
possibility of underground streams reach
ing IL from PARKWAY barns If not from
those at hand. Such contingencies should
be forestalled by frequent examinations.
Water carried through lead pipes takes
up lead. especially If it is soft and allow
FL 10 stand any length Of time. Lead
poisoning Is too well known To neei
comment Contracted in this way. the
quantity would be 50 small that nothing
more than disturbance 10 digestion is
probable unless the system Is superseusi-
tive. In any case. the poisoning Is not 10
be desired. and liability should be at once
precluded by boiling.
DANGER IN MINERALS.
The less mineral ingredients water
contains the better for health. Alkalies,
iron, salts. and copper are objectionable"
Lime and magnesium give water the
hardness which is not desirable for doe
nestle purposes. Some vegetable grOWths
are injurious. while decayed matter
whether vegetable or organic. such as one
sees in rivers and small streams. are
likely 10 produce enteric trouble II not
carefully strained out by liberation Bac-
terra thrive on such matter. Boiling for
thirty minutes VIII purity the worst
water. but renders II tasteess by setting
free its oxygen. This can be- restored in
manner by aerating il. Poured from
one vessel to another for several moments
serves a home purpose very well. C3rked
in large bottles on ice gives immunity
from any communicating influence which
ice may contain. If added 10 IT,
In these days Of uncertainty as to
purity. boiled water Is. perhaps. the only
real safety. \ fair test OF purity is when
a quantity is just reaching the boiling
point there should be no odor. A simple
test recommended by several health
boards consists Of putting about five
ounces Of water into a crounl-elass-
stopped bottle. Add 10 Il ten grains Of
graduated sugar. and cork tightly. set
ting II in a window but away from the
direct rays Of the sun. The temperature
should be kept about - degrees Fair.
II whitish specks appear within
fortY-eight hours. there is proof Of or
ganic matter present. IT, after week
or so. an odor of rancid butter is no.
uceable upon removing the cork. the
water IS. assuredly contaminated, and
not fit 10 drink The specks will settle
To the bottom finally. and the more there