El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-01-22

Total. -. =. -. IS. "a % AS 1856 1854
. Prof E. NJ. Skeats, the Ell Paso
chemist gives the following figures on
the amount of each of the solids above
named that are necessary to make wa
ter wholesome and the characteristics
and effect of each chemical upon the
human system
To be healthful as drinking water
ten gallons of water should contain a
half gram of lime. So it may be seen
that all waters of the southwest con-
tain too much lime. A little lime is
necessary for the wants of the human
system. but too much will give the
system bladder and rheumatic troubles
Lime in water makes water hard and
the more it contains the more break
ing is required to maze the water mt
for washing purposes.
About half a gram of magnesia in
ten gallons of water would not make
any serious difference, but none is
necessary to make water healthful.
ANY more than that amount would
axe the water a purgative as il us
ualIy occurs in the form of epson
salts. 1t also makes water hard and
UNPLEASANT to taste.
Soda generally occurs in water as
common salt and whether 1t is In1ur-
ious or not is due to the system which
takes it in. Some systems demand
more salt than others and to these
salt is a sort of tonic, while others can
not stand much salt, as it gives injury
to the kidneys. Six grams of salt to
the ten gallons will not hurt any sys-
TEN. but as FL Paso hydrant water
contains more than twice that amount
there is hardly system that can re-
ceive it constantly without some in
jury.
Cases where potash, iron, alumina
or silica appears in sufficient quanti-
ties to be injurious are rare, and no
water of the southwest contains
enough to hurt any system.
Whether or not sulfates are in
furious depends upon what they are
combined with. If combined with lime
they are poisonous, but with soda or
potash they are beneficial to the hui
man system. If chlorides are not COM
bined with magnesia or lime they are
good up to the amount of four grams
to ten gallons of water. but if COM
bined with those chemicals they are
very injurious. In the Ell Paso water
the sulfates are combined both with
lime and soda, hence the latter COM
bination partly overcomes the bad eff
fects of the former. In FL Paso wa
ter the chlor1des are combined with
soda and are not injurious.
Carbonates combined with lime do
not hurt the system, but when COM
bined with soda, as in the Ell Paso wa
ter. the water is made alkaline and
harmful But the chief harm in the Ell
naticn of sulfates and lime and the
The above table will show that Ell
Paso water is the most harmful of the
waters of the southwest and that FIT.
Bliss water is the best. Demins wa :
ter is shipped here and has a good
market, yet by looking at the table
it will be seen that Deming water con- !
tains almost twice the amount of SOL |
ids as the Fit. Bliss water, which by
little effort and comparatively small
expense could be secured for Ell Paso's j
drinking water.
There is another lesson to be learned
from the chemical exhibit. By taking {
samples from the Las Cruces ditch it 8
mas been determined that the follow t
ng amount and value of fertil1zing
material is added to each acre of land .
by the sediment from two feet of Rio i
irande river water: i
'hosphoric acid ..62.S TBS value S1.95 \
Potash. 800. $50 TBS value 24.O9 a
Nitrogen. ~ =. 1873 TBS value 81 a