The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-01-29
WHAT WE DRINK.
Diversified Life, Animal
and Vegetable That
Citizens Swallow.
DR.. W. 5. DlsBRoW's LECTURE
Little Things With Big Names
That We Absorb-What Won't
Poison Will Fatten.
DR.. W. 5. DlsBRoW's LECTURE

DR.. ", S. Disbrow of the Board OF
Health was the lecturer Tuesday night in
the regular public course at the High
School. Newark. His talk was in the ma
ture of a review and description OF the
plant and animal life found in the water
consumed by Newarkers, and based on
the preliminary biological survey Of the
| city's water supply. The lecture was IL
| Illustrated by blackboard drawings, des-
| criptive of various points of interest. In
the course of his lecture, DR.. Disbrow
said
1.-The study Of the Newark water has
been my play during the summer, and
many hundreds of slides have been ex-
amined in securing what | have to offer
you. The number of organisms which we
| daily consume as species so far. is about
one hundred and forty, well recognized
| and named. Most of the specimens exam
ined nave been taken from the service
| tap in my office; the only attempt at con-
centrations is the placing of a pledget of
cotton over the opening of the faucet, and
then permitting the flow of water to con-
tinue for some time. :
This is rather a crude method where an
exact estimation is desired, but is suit
aDle IOf the llNGSllSdtlOHS WHERE OHiy
species are to be determined, and not the
number in a given amount of water.
This cursory study is, l believe. the
first attempt made toward the examina-
ton of the Newark water supply, and l
hope that shall be able to make a more
complete investigation and one which may
some time be of value to Newark.
1.-THE water as it comes to our homes is
the mixed waters of the various streams
of the ~Peauannock region, tumbling over
the rocky stream beds-the siftings of the
glacial deposits-its organic matter is not
only well oxidized, but it is in it's transit
freed from its grosser elements of animal
and vegetable life. and has been subjected
to all the known physical conditions
which are capable of improving a water
supply.
"At times, owing to heavy rains, the
water becomes of a dirty color, and seems
filled with the refuse of the nation. But
let me state that although the appearance
may at times suggest it's u~nwholesome-
ness to the poorly informed. and that it is
reeking with disease and death, not in my
experience have 1 noted the presence of
anything harmful enough to occasion real
alarm or a menace to its usefulness, as a
| good drinking water, or detrimental to its
use in the arts.
suspended matter is a temporary cause
for the condemnation of a water, and al
though not desirable, must not be consid-
cred in connection with the water itself,
or as a defiler of its general good name.
The divisions of organic forms will be
considered in turn, those of the family
d~iatomaceae being considered first. This
family of unieellular Algae resembles the
desmids very closely, but differs in having
d siiicious cell framework, and by the
presence of a brownis pigment, which
conceals the green of the Chlorophyl.
Each frustuun is composed of two sep
arate and similar parts (valyes), the edges
Of which usually fit one over the other,
like the lid of Il box. Reproduction takes
| place by division and by sexual conjuga-
ton. They exist in all parts OF the world
i'm immense numbers, in fresh and salt
water, and are among the most beautiful
of microscopic objects; there are Upward
of 800 known species.
among this large family in our water
supply, the one of greatest interest is that
of which mention has been made-the as
t%erionella. This exists in comparatively
small numbers. and it is doubtful II ever
the circumstances should arise which
would present the conditions for its in
crease sufficient to produce any change in
the conditions of our water supply: In
the same family we have members of the
following. genus:.Cymbella, Stephanodis-
| Cyclotella. Tabellaria, Synedra and Fra
gilaria and others.
THE order Of Desmidiaceae (Chloro-
| phyecaD are unicellular fresh water
algae, are usually free, but sometimes
united in chains. which are embedded in
mucilage. The cells are cylindrical or
fusiform, and sometimes have horn-like
processes; or the general form is cylindri-
cal or elliptical, and are variously divided,
the. principal construction being in the
centre forming symmetrical halves; They
differ from the Diaton1aceae by the abb
sence of a silicious frame and the pres
ence of chlorophyl, which gives them the
usual green color. They are found float
water in all parts of the world, and form
a large group, nearly equal in number
to all other orders of resh water Algae.
"Among the large number of species
found | will mention those belonging to
the family Staurastrum, Desididium,
Sphaerozosma. Closterium, Docidiuln, Pc
diastruT and Micrasterias.
THE next group is the so-called Cyano-
phycaea dark blue), which are also called
C-rytcphyceae. the lowest order of the
Algae. They are composed of cells, iso-
lated, as in the Protococcus, embedded in
a mucous tissue. as in the Clathrocystis,
or arranged in filaments. as in the Nos
toes. Their color is blush green or some
times brown or pinkish, due to peculiar
coloring principle Phycocyan. Though few
in number, their great number in our
water supply is often the cause of the
brownish scum which IS collected IN the
filters, and which on subsistence will be
plainly seen.
1.-The next group are those with which
the laity are most interested, and their
horror is exemplified usually by a shudder
at the thought of the terrible animals
they swallow each time they consume the
East Jersey Water C~ompany's Klondike.
To me they are of great interest. and |
oft-times think that | am consuming my
friends, as l pass several millions of them
from the Water Boards pipes to those of
my own, while drinking a glass of water.
THE Rhizopods are a class of PROTOCOL
characterized by the ability of the in
dividuals to extend temporary proto-
plasmic processes of the body by which
means of locomotion is effected and food
obtained. There is no cell wall. but they
may secrete an internal or external cal
carious or ~silicious skeleton, or they may
form protective cases of horny matter, or
by cementing together solid particles from
the water in which they dwell. The
genus ATnoeba is perhaps to blame for
the many terrible things referred to
when the horrors of drinking water are
in evidence. This specie. the ATnoeha
proteus. in good working order, may be
compared to a Sunday-school gumdrop,
shapeiess, eyeless, in fact, without indi-
viduality, rolling. spreading and flowing
along, enclosing and engorging itself with
all that comes in it's guideless path. Or
If you will watch a mass of wine jelly
wabbling itself across the table. you will
have a good Illustration of this family's
character, we have others which are
a~bundantly able to make up for their
brothers defects, for in the Actinoophrys
sol and the Euglypha ~cilicita. all hat
can be desired in the line of beauty is
found.