The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-04-12
DR.. McCalla Writes Some Startling
Facts About Bad Water.
CEN'L MANAGER INTERVIEWED
And States that p. & 1. N is Ready to Co.
Operate With the Town For
Proper Supply.

While at General Manager Shelby's
office yesterday, a SIGNAL reporter
was shown the following very inter
esting letter:
Boise, Idaho April Sth 1900.
Mr.. P. P Shelby, General Manager. P.
Il |. N. Ry., Weiser, Id aho
Dear Mr. Shelby:
have been very much interested in
comparing the analysis of the Weiser
water and the Diamond Springs water
which you sent me- Surely the differ
ence is truly great one, and is of serious
Importance to you and your citizens.
The water supply of a city is always a
vitality interesting question as every body
drinks water, and upon the purity of the
water depends his health and happiness
and, NAV be- his fortune. Water NAV
be perfectly clear and OF good taste, and
yet contain myriads of bacteria or germs
which may cause sickness and death.
Every town and city should exercise
the greatest care in obtaining supply OF
pure wafer and, in order to know that a
water is pure and wholesome for drink
ing and culinary purposes, both chem
ical and psychological analysis must be
made by one skilled in this kind of work.
This analysis should be made from time
to time, at least every few months. Since
you are interested In the water question.
1t may be OF interest TO you that / cite a
few incidents in this line, that | now call
to mind, where a oOd tasting. clear and.
to all appearance, wholesome water prov
ed to be US hideous as = demon, for in it
lurked the germs of disease and death.
In Plymouth, Pa, In 1885, 4 town of
eight thousand people, which was partly
supplied with drinking water from re-
seryoir fed by 3 mountain stream, there
lived In cottage 1T distance OF eighty
feet from this mountain stream a man
who had typhoid fever During the
months OF January, February and March
his evacuations were thrown out on the
ground which was frozen and covered
with snow. About the first OF April a
thAw came, accompanied by heavy rain
fall. About the 10th OF April typhoid
fever broke out In the part OF town sup
piled by this reservoir, and appeared al
the rate OF fifty cases day. In all.
about twelve hundred case occurred. and il
is'needless to say that many OF them were
fatal. In Maidstone, England. few
years ago there were nineteen hundred
cases OF typhoid fever occurred in three
months, due 10 drinking contaminated
water In Philadelphia and Baltimore
there have been epidemics OF typhoid
fever within the last two or three years
which were traced to polluted drinking
water
remember to have heard Prof, WEIGH
OF John Hopkins Medical School in Balti.
more say during the winter of 1875
mat ne found evidence of pollution by
sewage, as was proven by the presence OF
the nitrates, free and albuminoid am.
monla, etc, and while no typhoid germs
were present in the samples of water TAX.
en-, stlll these evidences were non-con
troyeruble, and proved a contamination
by sewage, dangerous to health and life
as millions OF these germs might be In the
water supply and yet you might not finc
them IN any given sample.
frol. Osler, also of John Hopkins
Institute read paper before the Balti
more Clinical Medical Society about two
years ago, in which he stated that 8
great number Of deaths occurred annual
~ In Baltimore from typhoid fever anc
other diseases, which were due to this
| polluted water. He attacked the city
council very bitterly. Doctor Osier rolc
them that this polluted water was the
cause OF many deaths each year, anC
even If they cared nothing for the loss o.
human lives, 1t cost them more money tt
care for and burythese cases quitting thu
cost OF caring fol and burying each cast
at $40. COY than it would to change the
water supply and give them pure water
The drinking water is OF all importance
10 every family and community. II
people who are constipated, rheumatic,
or equity, and those who suffer from kid
ney diseases, drank more pure water al
regular intervals, much Of their suffer
lngs might be prevented | have known
great many people who were relieved
OF these ills by drinking at stated inter
vals plenty OF good cool water. | think
that most people are ignorant OF the fact
or else they forget 1t, that two-thirds O
the human body is water. We should
certainly see to it that the two-thirds b,
as well supplied as the one-thirds we pa,
so much attention to,-as We do, in look
ing so carefully to our food.
HveO AtoHi Iuc duhlySlS tndt YOU sen
me, that the sample of water from YOU
pumping station contains evidences O
pollution and would probably by
DANGEROUS water for drinking purposes.
The analysis of the Diamond Spring
water shows it to be an extra-ordinas
good, wholesome water.
| Certainly the discovery of this water b.
you timely and of serious import to yo,
and your citizens. No doubt your effort
to supply your citizens with this pur
water will be appreciated by them, as /
seems to me most magnanimiousl,
generous favor conferred upon them,
remain, dear sir,
Very Sincerity Yours,
(Sgned) L. P. McCALLA,
President State Board Medical Examin
ers, Div. Surgeon o. S. l.. r. R., Chic
Surgeon P. & l. N. Ry. Co.
The analysis Of both the Weeze
water and the Weiser water will
probably appear in the Boise States