The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-04
THE DANGERS
OF SEDATIVES.
Evil Of Drugs Used Unfortunately
to AIIay Pain.
THE RESULTS OF FILTRATION.
A Remarkable Reduction in Typhoid
Fever Cases and the Death Rate
Shown In the City of Lawrence,
Massachusetts.

A iamcntable fact which one is reluc-
family forced to recognize. IS the aston
fishing ignorance in medical matters OF
well-educated. and presumably sensible
people, TO tampcr with their health by
dosing themselves habitually with some
compound Of unknown composition. pref
erably "tonic."
Men who would not attempt to treat a
valuable horse without an expert medi-
cal opinion. consider themselves quite
competent 20 prescribe for themselves
and their wives and children In many
a household there Is a bottle OF fOrmid-
able proportions, which IS regarded as a
sort OF liquid vitality. and from which
the head Of the family dispenses as he
thinks health and energy 81 one OF the
members looks pale. lacks appetite. has
a headache OF, in his opinion, needs a
tonic"
Another sad side Of the matter is the
number Of women who take some patent
headache preparation while really ignO-
rant of its composition. The man who
takes whiskey before eating to give him
an appetite. at least knows what he is
doing: the woman who takes some harm
lessly- named preparation TO allay pain,
IS called in, he often finds her with shat
tered nerves. weakened will and broken
health; a victim of cocaine. morphine or
some other insidious drug. The phys-
clans inability to cure obscure SYMPTOMS
a. often due 10 his ignorance of his pa
tient's playing with these edged tools"
FILTRATION or WATER.
According TO the Public Health Jour
nal" the effect of the changes made in
al rF.t.1rr of lou In
1893, was very promptly felt in an i'm
proved state Of the health Of the town.
The work was completed on September
D. OF the year named, at a cost Of 500
OC0. and from that date up 20 the present
time, IL has been in continuous use and
not once has the unfiltered water entered
the reservoir or the service pipes Of the
city water-supplv. IL was the intention
OF the designer that the filter should be
operated as an Intermittent one. that is
that the surface should be uncovered or
Tree from water every day for a period
OF two OF three hours. it being his opin-
ion that better results would be obtained
by this method of operation than could
be obtained by operating it as contin-
uOus filter: that IS one whose surface is
never uncovered except at times on
scrdping. The intermittent method OF
operating IS followed during the summer,
but In the winter the surface Of the fill
ter is never uncovered except at times
OF scraIplng. During the year 1894 the
FIRST ontire year of operation, the bac
te5iL efficiency Of the filter was IS Sc per
cent during 1895, Il was 9S.22 per cent;
and during 1896 IL was $500 per cent. The
efficiency Of the filter I'm removing BAG
teria has always been greater in summer
than IN winter, the reason OF this being
that contrary to the advice of the de-
bigner, the filter remains uncovered, and
thus unprotected from the severe cold
o. the winter of the climate
IMMEDIATE RESULTS
In the January following the starting
of the filter. the number of typhoid ever
cages was nine, or One-eghth as many
as during the previous January This
,sct is more striking when we note that
in Lowell durino this month there were
ninety. nine cases er three times as many
hs dri'rg tic rte' ious January In Jam
Lsfy. 1855 there wee ten cases Ii. Law
renee; I'm January. 1896. six cases. and I'm
January. 1897, two cases. A more salts
factory demonstration Of the effect Of
the filter upon the health Of the people
of Lawrence can be made. however. by
stating that I'm 1857. the deaths from ty-
phoid fever were 1l.15 per 1000 Of ue |
population; IN ISIS u: In 1859, 1877: in |
1850, 1885, in 1891. II 90 and in $50, iii |
per 10000. During 1893 the filter was built I
and hence. during a portion Of the year. |
filtered water was being used. In 1895. |
however, filtered water was i'm use dur I
ing the entire year and the death rate !
from typhoid fever was per 10000; dur !
ing 1895. 1t was 3O7; during 1896. 1S6 and (
during 1897. 162 per 10 COO That is 10 say.
the average death rate for the six years !
previous TO the construction of the filter |
was 1886 per 10000 while during the three !
years and ten months following fits con-
Btruction II has been 29j per 10000 OF |
a reduction of &c per cent. 1t
ran be said also. that a number Of |
deaths reported each year are operatives !
In the large mills who, in spite IF warn
Ing notices. drank the unfltered and pol
luted canal water which is piped into the
mills. In fact. IL can be said that Law
renee now has one of the lowest death
rates from typhoid fever Of any city in |
the State. and has it's greatest number OF
eases during August, September and Oc-
Iober. The cases occurring in these
months can not in any way be connected
with the filtered water supply. Besides
giving a water free from disese germs,
the filter is giving a cleaner water. one
more attractive and palatable, and con-
tanning but 30 per cent. OF the organic
matter OF the river water
In connection with this subject. II is
In no 81 |