The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-27

In the study OF their DEVELOPMENT a most
puzzlfng series OF forms has been encoun-
From the above brief statement OF some
OF the difficulties to be encountered il Is evil
dent that the purely scientific part OF al
ology must be greatly advanced In order TO
answer many OF the practical questions of
the water engineer, and the formulation
and presentation Of these practical ques-
bors OF the alaoiogists. Many who are now
pursuing their studies in the seclusion OF
college laboratories. withour due renumera-
ton or reward. can be added TO the force
OF workers in the line Of this committees
Investigation. The same remarks are still
more true CT the present status OF bacteri-
Oiogy. A great number OF species OF bac-
terra have been described in Europe and not
a few in this country. They are held 70 be
distinct species because they present certain
differences under Identical conditions of en-
vironment. OF their relation and possible
transformation, very little is known. The
water analyst usually limits his inquiries TO
which ne can develop in a few culture me-
dia. In special inquiries he identifies the
species, if possible, with those already de-
scribed, or. if he is not able TO make such
an Identification. he originates a new spe-
cies. To demonstrate in any particular wa
ter that certain bacillus Is present, which.
IL taken in the human system, would orig
mate there the typhoid fever or cholera, Is
an exceedingly difficult matter and II is
open to question whether this has ever been
done with such certainty as to be called
scientific demonstration.
HOW THEY POISON WATER.
But the larger part of the water bacte-
ria, apart from the so-calied pathogenic va
rieties, have received comparatively little
study. They live by breaking up ard trans
forming the carbohydrates and a-buminoids
of their food into other and usually simpler
products. In the absence Of oxygen these
transformations are putrefactive, and many
of the substances produced are ptomaines.
| which are bodies of more a less poisonous
| nature, the decomposition being attended
with liberations Of hydrogen and Nitrogen
| the chief agents in the transformation into
| innocuous compounds of decomposable suo-
stances, their Importance in this respect
| being far greater than that of the algae."
| DR. Leeds then spoke Of the environments
and conditions under which algae We're the
most rapidly produced, giving results Of
| practical experiments made by himself. He
| found that they grew most rapidly in sun
| light and at summer temperatures. IF the
object, therefore" ne continued, lis to pre-
vent the formation Of a,gae, is the case
| with pure subterranean waters, from wells
| or filtering galleries, or filtered water, If
water is 10 be got with the least posi-
practice OF keeping it in cold, dark reservoirs
Is to be commended. In England this has
been the practice Tor the past thirty years.
| voirs, many paced above ground in slight
| and imperfect manner, has often kept the
1
dirt, nor dark, and some Of the contradic-
| tory opinions on this subject may be con-
| nected with this inadequate protection
THE preservation of filtered or subterra-
| mean water, however. is a very different
| question from that of surface waters i'm
pounded on a large scale. Covering being
impossible. the first expedient has been TO
| failure to remove the decomposed organic
| matters at the bottom of the reservoirs has
| been a prolific source of trouble The flow
shallow
pecia.ly when alternativey dried up and
| exposed to the sun, results in the formation
| OF what might be termed forcing houses,
or lighthouses, where every variation of
light, temperature, moisture, sustenance,
etc. is brought into vigorous play TO orig
| mate and foster the growth CT as many
! varieties and as large an amount of animal
and plant growths as possible.
Up 10 the present time the usual course
| has been to invoke the aid of the chemist
only, and not TO resort to him except when
the water has become offensive or danger
GUS. But the considerations previously pre-
scented show that what is desirable to know
in the case Of every water supply is what
might be called the .life-history,' that is,
the mutual interdependence of all the forms
of life which ii contains upon one another,
and their relation to the mineral and or
ganic matters in the water. Fortunately
there are scattered over the who.e of the
United States institutions OF learning where
not only chemists are to be found, but bot
anists and biologists as well, who could
be most profitaoly interested in these re-
L
| lege officers who would gladly do work OF
this highly scientific as well as practical
character at "a most moderate remunera
ton. Similar add ocould be obtained from
the various State boards of health. If thu
, | work were prosecuted in connection will
| every water supply in some such manner
as is indicated your committee fees tina
more progress might be made during thu
year to come than in the ten years preced
ing, and that the results Of the work woult
be tenfold more conducive to Improvement:
in the conservation OF water supplies. The
; functions of this committee would be t,
keep I'm touch with all these Investigations
| presenting their most important results I,
the association. With these understood linn
itations to its functions X feels abe TO p,
on with reasonable expenditure of tn
time OF its members and with very moder
ate pecuniarye assistance from the associa
| tion."
Colonel Gardner Of New Orleans. and NJ,
Bull, of Quincy, ILL.,, made vigorous pleas 70
the continuation of the committee SO abb
| headed by DR.. Leeds, and, upon motion. tn
committee was instructed to formulate plan
for the future. embracing report of til
amount of money mat would be necessar
| signal for. the relation OF n number Of pei
| sonal experiences of members of the ass
enemy. algae or vegetable growth. Mr.
| =. Allen, OF Denver, had found that linir
reservoirs with different substances had bl
: little effect in remedyiEg the evil: After
| number Of experiments, he discovered ths
,, sunlight aided the growth. BY covering d
! was excluded, the growth ceayed and Il
| water was pure ard wholesome. s.
2 | Charles of Lexington. Ky, showed a samp
. OF water highly polluted with vegetab
growth. His remedy was 70 thoroughly fit.
| | and aerate the water. This. together wi,
! the seclIsjon OF sunlight, secured highly sa
J isfactory results, as was shown by samp
: : OF water in clarsfied state. Mr.. Allen 6,
Z | planned further tna, the kind OF water us
: made no perceptibfe difference in vegetab
S | growth as IL was jrst as virulent in wat.
from an artisan well. 700 feet in depth,
. in the water from percolated wells. which d
5 rived their source from the river. after f
5 | trafion through beds OF sand. Different e,
, | perfences were related By Mr.. Pitt. of Pc
e sacola Fla, but he admitted that the wat
with which ne had TO deal was perfect
= | pure. Following the discussions OF j
beeds's paper, Or. j. y. Hurry. OF Indial
| apolis. read paper on the water Supp
' OF Indianapolis"
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