The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-04-08

THE only deduction of Importance from
the above analysis is that the water is
badly polluted with sewage.
Direct tests were also made for poison
Gus metals after concentrating the water
to one-fve-hundredth of it's original vol
ume. While it is true that by this means
the presence of one or more of a group
of metals elassed as poisonous (arsenic.
copper, lead. etc. was demonstrated how
ever, the amount was so small that
neither the determination of the kind or
quality was feasible. / can say that the
minute traces found could not possibly
have a any toxic effect on the indi-
vi5ual.
'Inasmuch as the waste products from
the factories at Paterson have been men
toned as a possible source of poisonous
mineral peisons, a simple calculation will
illustrate the improbability of such q con-
dition.
Assuming that 500 pounds of actively
poisonous metals were daily discharged
into the river Gan assumption which do
not believe is WARRANTED. and the flow Of
water to be AGO cubic feet per second "a
fair rate for February at Dundee). one
would have to imbibe about seventy-fiye
gallons of water in order to get oae grain
of poison into the system. OF course,
there are many factors that would enter
into a calculation of this kind, but L do
not think the statement exaggerated.
GAS the amount of mineral matter in
the water is so comparatively small and
so nearly alike in kind to that in the reSa-
lar city supply, 1 think it extremely inn
probable that it a anything to do with
the disorders complained of. hat bacteria
could have been the direct cause is appar-
emily impossible. as boiling the water
failed to destroy its poisonous properties
If both of these causes are eliminated
there only remains to be considered the
possible presence of some very violent or
ganic poison introduced into the water as
q waste product or poisonous ptomaines
or toxines. The former proposition is ex-
tremelv unlikely. but the latter | believe
to be a very possible condition. 3
.eThe ntomaines and toxines are che1nf-
cal bodies produced through the agency OF
bacteria or organic matter. Some are
Violently poisonous; many are not at all
so but their properties in many instances
are comparatively little understood. Some
are volatile or decomposed at a temporal
ture considerably below boiling water,
but Others are unaftered by temperatures
far in excess of that.
..While my opinion is that the sickness
Immediately following the use of the Pas
sale water was due TO some of these
chemical products of bacteria, it is impes-
sible to demonstrate it by any known
methods"
Health officer Chambers report showed
that there were sGs typhoid fever cases
during march. 1t stated that this was
the largest number in any one month for
fourteen years. A tabulated Statement
was submitted showing that in 1887 there
were 12s cases of typhoid fever, so2 in 1883.
5sS in 1889. 5s7 in 1890, SIG IN 1891, 22s in 1899.
1s5 in 1898. 81 in 1894, 14s in 1855. rs in 1896,
1os in 1897. 1f9 in 1898, and 307 so far in 1893.
.Sfnce my connection with the board
renorted Mr.. Chandler, ~ fail to find in
any one month prior to or since the adop-
fion Of PeGuannock water a Ike number
of cases during that time. / believe this
shows conclusfvely that even when Pas
sale water was used only and prior to the
~introduction of P~equannock, the condition
If The pollution of the Passaic was COM
narativeIy slight compared to the pres
AM -