The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-25
ON THE PUBLIC HEALTH
TOPICS OF THE STATE BOARDS
QUARTERLY BULLETIN.
Vital Statistics for the Three Months
advice Upon Municipal
Water Supplies.

n LOT the quarter eHulNS Mdrcn
81 has been issued by the secretary of the
State Board of Health. The number of mar
riages for the quarter was 1892 and of this
number 134 were colOred. The total num-
Der of births in the State reported to the
secretary was 1888. There were eighty-five
cases of plurality births reported. Sullivan
and Vanderburg counties each report one
case of triplets. The number of illegiti-
mate births reported for the quarter was
135. During the quarter 4,144 deaths were
reported, showing an increase Of ninety-six
over the same quarter OF last year. The
number Of contagious diseases. with the
deaths that occurred therefrom, are re-
ported as follows Diphtheria, 31s cases, 259
deaths; scarlet fever, 465 cases, rs deaths;
typhoid fever, PIT cases, 119 deaths; measles,
2.O26 cases, Is deaths; phthisis, $50 deaths.
On the question of contagious disease the
secretary says:
This quarter shows a marked decrease
IN diphtheria, scarlet fever and typhoid fe-
yer, but measles increased five times over
the preceding quarter Eighteen deaths
We're reported as caused by measles; Why
not strive to control this disease, and so, in
a measure, stop its ravages? If the rail-
roads had killed eighteen children in three
months besides manning 200 or 300, some
thing would be done. The deaths from con-
sumption increased % per cent. Pulmonary
consumption as usual leads all the con-
lis the state board has no knowledge of
any efforts to control this awful disease.
The people certainly desire to be protected
and are ready for the health department to
begin, but the state board has insufficient
means to undertake, even to start, the
work 1t is hoped the next Legislature will
appreciate the situation and make it posi-
Die for this department to open vigorous
campaign of prevention.
The secretary has the following to say on
the subject of public water supplies:
1t is the consensus of opinion among san
itary scientists and sanitary engineers that
all public water supplies should be filtered:
for this is the only certain way Of knowing
that water is always pure. The water in a
well Is drawn from the surrounding earth.
The length of the subterranean streams
which supply the well can rarely be known.
From one side, of a well the earth may be
other side may pour a stream which has
Travelled miles underground. Again we'll
streams, but from the porous earth into
which it is dug In such instance the earth
contains the water like a sponge, giving it
the likelihood Of the earth surrounding
well becoming polluted is very great. The
ress tSs ts me s b WITH the ppo
water for twenty years, no one has ever
been made sick by 1t, and yet you say it is
bad" Such argument is founded upon the
untenable hypothesis that once pure, always
pure
Besides, how does the person know that
said water? Obviously, he don't know; he
just assumes his statement to be true. Such
Is not the method of science, for science is
practical, never assuming things to be true
and then drawing wholesale deductions. but
actually refusing to believe until the facts
old rea WeS became sn aa a no naes
by polluted underground streams breaking
into them.
pour our filth into the same earth into
which our wells are. dug? And should We,
therefore, not expect that sooner or later the
accumulated filth would reach our wells?
All wells therefore. dug or driven when in
city or town, are to be viewed with SuS-
picion; No one can, in reason. say my well
furnished me pure water yesterday, to-day
1t must be equally pure" Some might say
the risk is slight This, however. is not true.
number of cases of typhoid fever, dysentery,
diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases,
which occur annually in every Indiana town
and city. Besides. If the risk is small, why
endure it, when the same might be COM
pletely banished? The more thoroughly we
go into this subject, and the more thorough
greater the certainty Of coming to the con-
clusion that well waters from ground which
receives excremental filth are always to be
viewed with suspicion.
1t may then be considered established that
wells cannot be trusted. AS for trusting
surface streams, that. of course, is out of
the question. Only one method, therefore,
remains and that is filter the supply. no
matter from whence it is taken Mechan-
ical filters which are not costly and which
furnish an abundant supply of pure water
are furnished by many filter companies in
the United States. All these filters use
sand as the f1ltering medium.
The water before being passed through
the sand is treated with sulphate of alumni
ium. This is simply done by introducing
through an automatic apparatus one to two
grains of the chemical to each gallon. The
lime in the water reduces the sulphate of
alumina to a jellylike substance named
hydrate of alumina. This jelly acts like
white of egg in coffee. 1t envelopes the
germs and suspended matter and combines
with organic substances. When water thus
treated is passed through a column of pure
sand the coagula are retained and crystal
pure water is obtained.
Not the slightest danger need be appre-
hended on account of the chemical. In the
first place 1t is harmless, and secondly,
none appears in the filtered water. 1t is
true that filtration costs little money, but
the advantages gained are SO great that it
is a true economy.
Mechanical filters are in use in Warsaw
Sullivan and Terre Haute. The citizens of
those cities, If their filters scientifically
conducted, should have no fear of typhoid
or other water-borne diseases.
The State Board of Health most earnestly
advises all towns and cities to use only fl
tered water. Good business. economy,
health. common sense. all sustain this
recommendation.