The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-10-02
THE SCIENTIFIC slDE.
Impurities tu Winter Viewed From tho
ScicDtist's Standpoint.
Editor virginian:

l am pleased to read In our column OF
this DAYS issue Il clipping from the
opufar Science News, that should set
the scientific thinking minds of this city
to work upon such an important subject
that bears SO particularly and forcibly
unon us ut this time. 1 a V not deemed
1t arnlss to address you his communicate
ton. supplementary to the article In
question. hoping hat 1t may awaken
some interest, seeing that our Board
OF Health Is already moving In the right
direction. Researches in etiology have
shown that the health of al individual
or of Il community depends largely
rpon the purity of the water supply.
Purity here means freedom from delete
rious constituents. Organic matter Is
= constituent of all natural waters.
All sanitary authorities agree that the
most dangerous constituents of water
are products OF decomposition OF Or
Eanic matter. and the germs that feed
uuon them. Experience has how that
water even slightly impure may he pro-
ductive of Il host Of ailments. for which
tlc sufferer finds no apparent cause.
PEOPLE. however, may habitually drink
iinprre water and still live. but its
continued use unquestionahly affects
the human system and leads to the
degeneration of the race. The results
so slow and gradual are not apparent
and the evil is borne with indifference
and the apathy OF custom. L have
heard the placing of fish i'll Lake Law
son condemned. Nearly all natural
waters are supplied with more or fewer
fish. the presence of which can in no
sense be hurtful. they are purifying
agents of no mean kind.
People who have never studied
through a microscope do not know mon
have they any conception of the real
living world around US. The large
number of plants and animals with
xz.hich tt-n nrn nr,ilin, &c crNDll N-ltan
compared with the myriads of living
bacteria that surround us and which
can only be seen through u powerful
miroscoDe.
y Dutch naturalist. history tells us.
as early as 1919 was observing and
stlIlving bacteria. the knowledge of
them has only come to us in the last
thirty wears.
The bacteria are known as micro or
CInisms. y large number OF them are
-lrmless TO the human system. Some
of them are infectious and produce such
-vmotic diseases as typhoid fever, dipth-
c|n. etc. These are now claiming Il
attention. an effort about being made
rs to their origin. Consumption and
malaria are also two of the most
dreaded microbc diseases known to the
human family.
Bacteria are present in all kinds of
matter. They inhabit the air we
breathe and the food we eat II the
pureSt water we drink cannot be said to
he entirely free from, them. y cubic
centimetcr of average spring or deep
well water. generally contains from
.everal hundred to several thousand of
them.
They are classified according to their
shnpe ana structure. Mirrococci are
composcd OF Il single spherical or oblong
cell: the Strepticocci are composed of
cells in chains: the bacilli are rod like
forms. While the spirclia are of IL cork
screw or spiral shape. The study OF
bactcrioloGy is a science of itself and
our highest scientific men are industri-
ouslv engaged in the research and oc-
casionally give to the public such in
formation as YOU have published from
the Popular Science, nj II Is timely
and commendable in you to direct the
attention of our Boards OF Health ana
our Water Board and even the Board of
Street. Sewer and Drainage to this i'm
portant branch of scientific sanitary
work.
Standard authorities agree that aka
liEr waters are dangerous FOR driking
since thev may favor the development
OF germs. We have an abundance OF
such water here now and il deserves the
closest scrutiny. | Will not say more
now than to acknowledge my indebted
mes 10 Prof. Davis and Prof. Rafter for
CORRESPONDENCE on the subject. These
gentlemen are high authorities in this
science. | am. sir,
Your obedient servant.
j.. w. THOMAS. JR.
Norfolk. October J..