Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-09-03


tests win be made i'm this connection TO
verify this for our water.
MERE APPEARANCE DECEPTIVE
There IS no more erroneous idea than
the popular one that mere inspection or
a water indicates anything as 10 its
fitness for drinking. or course, water
may be SO repulsive in appearance, taste
or odor as TO lead instinctively 10 rS
rejection. That these criteria are not al
ways trustworthy is shown, in the case
of appearance, by the fact that our
James river water, which strangers al
ways drink with many misgiyngs when
IL is ut it's worst Is. nevertheless, whole
some water: and. In the case Of odor and
taste, by many OF the sulphur springs,
than which. at first, nothing could be
more repusive. but which are widely
sought for their valuable properties.
ION the other hand-and il is this
point which 1 specially wish 10
emphasize-tho most dangerously pol
Iuted water may be brilliantly clear
and free from all odor ard
taste. Let mo illustrate this more iorci-
bly, than can be done by mere words
Here. the Doctor went 20 a cupboard
and returned with a bottle and test
tube the latter containing n sort OF jelly
which ne held cut for the reporters III
| spection.
you see the Shiny growth upon the
slanting surface of this jelly" ne said.
"Nell this growth consists Of countless
myraids Of bacteria, iu this case the
blcnu of typhoid-fever. This bottle con-
tains the purest water obtainable, dis
| titled. and steriliZod by several boilinSs.
I will now infect the water with typhoid
| bdcilli."
Seating himself at a table. on which
We're many mysterious-looking bottles
and other paraphernaho, the Doctor
picked up a glass rod having bit OF
platinum wire inserted at the end, ana
! held it in a gas flame until the wire
glowed. with the tip Of tho wire. after
| IL had cooled on, he then removed from
the tube an almost invisible amount OF
| the Growth and inserted it into the bottle
/ OF distilled water, after which the bac-
1 terra remaining on the wire were de-
| stroyed by again holding It in the lame.
He then resumed:
con that bit of wire / picked up seVe-
raj million typhoid germs, but you Cd
| serve that after / shake the bottle 10 us
! trlb7to them throughout the water there
/ is nothing in its appearance To Indicate
| that il is not as pure as before 1t was IN
fected. Neither has IL any odor mo, you
need not Doe afraid TO smell IT'D; nor, you
/ must take my word for this, IS It's taste
! altered. Yet every drop of this water
/ now has i'm it many thousand iyphold
| bacilli. So you see how untrust"otlhy
the senses may be I'm such matters.
AS before said, such examinations OF
| James-river water as have been previous
/ ~ made do not give weight 10 the idei
! that ii is a conveyer of disease germs, in
! spite OF some very suggestive CONDITIONS
existing along our watershed. Drinking
| water. however, is recognized means OF
spreading certain epidemic diseases, no
| tably typhoid-feyer and Asiatic choleia'
! Where the excreta Of individuals suiter-
! ing from these diseases gain entrance 10
a spring, well, or stream which Is used
| for drinking purposes, widespread ccVel-
opnent Of the disease may follow the use
| OF the water so contaminated
ERRORS REGARDING BACTERIA.
The interviewer then asked DR.. Levy a
number Of questions about bacteria.
| In reply 20 the inquiry as TO whether
/ all bacteria were capable OF producing
! disease, the Doctor SAID:
NO. not by any means With the en-
| trance of bactoriOiogy upon the arena OF
| the sciences not so many years ago, ana
as consequence OF its demonstration OF
| the universal presence OF bacteria ana
the dsease-prOducing powers OF many
varieties. the popular mind az once I'M
Dlutl many eklauBE anu ~ Avtt'gft' tN'N--'
ideas which have done much TO disturb
the equanimity Of those who have learn
ga only enough 10 believe that the word
'bacterum. or germ is always synony-
nous with a natural foe 10 health, a
sneaky Antagonist. which. protected by
the cloak OF invislbllity. Is lying IN wait
az every turn ready 90 pOunce upon IT'S
unWary victim. As a matter Of fact,
bacteria are everywhere present, but OF
the hundreds Of varieties known 10 the
hacterologlg, only "a small proportion
have the power Of producing disease in
the human subject. while many Of them,
on the other hand. are absolutely essen
tial 90 the continuance OF higher forms OF
animal and vegetable life on the globe.
Another popular error is that bacteria
are animal organisms As matter Of
fact, they belong 10 the vegetable king
dom. and are SIS humblest representa-
tiyes. consisting each Of a single cell. In
appearance there Is nothing horrible
about even the most deadly forms-in
fact, nothing 20 distinguish them from
the harmless or even tho useful varieties
All bacteria appear under the microscope
simply as little rods or spherOids. The
rod-shape bacteria. when straight are
known as bacilli; when curved they are
called spirilla The spheroidal bacteria
are called micrOcOCci