Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-02-16
GEoRGE l. s.alrsoN. Mayor.


ALEXANDRA, va co %, ! go.
To the Honorable George L. simpson, Mayor
o: the City OF Alexandra:
Dear Sir-Haviug receiced the results OF &
vey careful examination OF orr drinking
water made by Dr.. " Il. Tech of the joins
HOPKINS University OF 6sltimo-e, your CON-
uittee Won 4 respectfully submit that among
the bacteria positively identified by DR.. Welch
the Intestinal! organism coi communis
again hes appeared. proving that q pol.ud n
Of our water b. sewage Is still going on. IN
other bacteria positively identified was the
bacillus "fu5rcscens ique'sc.sns. With
cultures OF this bacteria contained IN our
water. Dr WEIGH states, that be iuocgiated
nice beneath the SKIN which caused their
death by septicaemia bio 4 poisoning. He
also developed coonies OF bacteria resem-
bling the typhoid bsc.lI BAT caud nor posi-.
lively identity them by THIS single test, ant
consequently, be classes them a. psuedo -
phoid bacili and states In 81 accompanying
letter that the TYPHOID fever germ Is very
rarely isolated from water, although it may
&c contained therein He states isrther. that
ihis single examination indicates that our
water falls considerably short OF thai degree
OF pu!i y which renders i suitable Tor drink
ing purposes, without sterilization. he
Identified over 500 bacteria per cubic cent?
=
lager than should be present in g good
drinking water, especially in the month
Of January, and says that or Wa
ger falls so far sho:t Of proper OF
even moderate standard OF hyg'enic purity,
that he would recommend. IS = wise precau-
ton. the boiling OF gil water used for drink
ing purposes Before di=pJsing o: this very
important question finally. your committee
deems II its duty TO call your attention 20
another danger g. present and for some time
70 come confronting our people rendering the
advice OF Dr. Weich with regard 10 boiling
the water Gil the NOR important. During
period OF several months last summer. while
the Spauish-Amerlcan wsr was in progress,
military camp containing at times $4,000
men was located upon the water shed of one
Of the principal branches OF our water supply.
This camp very soon became unhealthy by
the appearance o. an epidemic Of typhoid fe
yer, resulting fatally IN number OF cases
The dejecta of the patients suffering from
that disease, very unwisey, We're emptIed
into shallow sinks or pits dug in the ground.
aud were then covered with earth conse.
quently there exists possibility that the
germs OF this disease may eventually poiiute
our water supply Apart from this danger,
oar water supply from It's fountain head to
the dam where It enters the race IS totally
unprotected against infection, leaving Us a.
ways open to conditions similar to those ex.
sting III Plymouth, Pennsylvania, causing
The typhoid fever epidemic mentioned in cur
first report.
The effort to obtain pure, unpollu;ed water
IS becoming quite general in many OF our
cities. and must continue as populston be.
comes more dense. Experience has shown
that. where proper methods OF filtration have
been adopted, the death rate by typhoid f.
yer ard, consequently. the general death rate
has been diminished to SO great an extent as
20 furnish ample snd Convincing argument
and warrant for the expense Of such Il ira
ton. The city Of Lawrence Massachusetts,.
city of $4,000 population. is a very good
example of the beneiicisl effects of filtration
as shown by tie following death tate from