The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-01-20
BRANDYWINE
WATER.
Chemist Says 1t is Infer.
ior to the SChuykill
Liquid.

phoid is from albuminoids in water
Those occur in the water by the
decay of vegetable matter OF all
types, and from surface sewage.
The Brandywine creek being a
natural drainage medium of an ex-
| tensive water shed is contaminated
by the surface drainage of the coun-
try through which it flows. The
inflow Of decayed vegetation from
this source must be very large and
its effects culminate right here at
| the source of the city water supply.
| In addition to the vegetable con-
tamination. a very large amount of
animal matter finds its way into the
creek from the grazing lands, in the
shape Of animal droppines S and the
refuse of dairies. also carried there
by surface drainage. The supply
Of this matter is large, constant
and the water is never free of it:
"Thc amount of aibuminoids OF
the character producing typhoid
permissible in drinking waters is ID
parts in 100000 parts of water:
Beyond that the cotamination is
dangerous.
about the Brardywinc water,
my experience confirms the conclu-
sion of Prot. Moerk, of Philadel-
phia. He has aralyzed samples of
this water on several occasions,
and pronounced it TAR inferior. as a
drinking water, to that of the
Schuylklll, from which Philadelphia
gets its water supply. The Brandy
wine water contained the larger
amount of typhoid matter. The
contamination of EchuylKill water
is Of a muddy consistence-coal
and dye stufs-which is not poison
Gus, although more apparent, CIV
Ing the water bad appearance nj
making it unpalatable:
"Ihe remedy for such contamlna-
ton as effects The Brandy wine
water is aeration and sunshine, and
the stroring of in large bodies,
rese rvolrs large enough to give
abundant supply, and thus avoid
constant pumping. l understand
that the water supplied from the
Rodney basin in this city is aerated
by means OF stand pipes, from which
it is forced above the level of the
water stored there and allowed to
fall in large spraying streams ex-
posed to the air and sunshine.
That is effective aeration. 1t would
be interesting to know if there is
any typhoid fever in the district
supplied with water from that
basin.
well water or spring water
where there is no aeration-when
the sun is excluded from the
storage supply, is the most fruitful
OF typhoid infection. In fact it
is never clear OF it. The conditions
in splings and wells permit con-
slant growth of albuminoid matter.
Gases of sickness produced from
using this variety of water are al
ways of the worst type, is marked
by dementio as one Of the first
symptoms, and in contradiction to
the symptoms arising from an over
worked body. These symptoms
have been marked among there
cases Of typhoid occurring III the
vicinity of the Franklin street
spring. So surely did the symp-
toms point to the use of well or
spring water in an epidemic of the
disease in that locality several yea S
ago that the attending ply sician-
a prominent one of the city-lo-
Gated the source of the disease at
the spring,and projected an inquiry
which, had there had time, wou Id
doubtless have demonstrated the
truth Of his conclusion. He lost
several of his cases, and in every
one the symptoms here noted
were developed and although dor
mant.
wherever typhoid is prevalent
the source Of it Is alngst sure to be
70 und in impure water"