Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-09-12
HARMS IN HIS
OWN DEFENSE.
Denies Positively that City Water
Reveals Presence of Typhoid
Bacilli.
IT IS NOT EASILY DETECTED.
Telling Argument in support of the
Position Taken by the City
Chemist.

To the Editor
Salt Lake CITY, Sept. ESQ many
inisstatements, purported to be my quo
tations. have appeared In the various
daily papers of this city, that ! deem It
justice to the public and myself, to
say a word regarding above.
Regarding analysis Of water from a
sanitary standpoint and the detection
of typhoid bacillus:
Although the typhoid bacillus is pres
ent in great quantity in the eNCrements
OF a typhoid patient its detection and
Identification Is an exceedingly difficult
task because there are normally pres
ent myriad of other bacteria Abuud-
ant among these Is the colon bacillus,
which greatly resembles the typhoid In
many points, especially its form and
general characteristics. Under any cir
CumstanCes. the detection of the typhoid
bacillus i'm a body of flowing water of
900 gallons per day. such as fur
nished by parley's creek, would result
in almost inYarlable failure, for the
following reasons;
The typhoid bacllli are not distributed
evenly In the water; only a very small
quantity of water Is employed I'M the
examination, and In this the typhoid
germs may or may not happen to be
present. Between infection and the out
breaking OF the disease, considerable
time elapses, and from this we may
Infer that at the Infection typhoid
bacteria were present but disappeared
again a the outbreak owing to yari-
Gus causes, such as want OF suitable
nourishment. flowing water, etc.
However. the water can be examined
80 as to give proof whether pollution
by human excrement has taken place
and thereby sustain typhoid or not.
This Is accomplished by joint chemic-
al analysis and archaeological exam
ination, the final judgment Of the water
being aided, If possible, by personal
inspection of the surroundings of the
water.
For the rapid propagation OF typhoid
germs, Is essential q certain tempera-
ture and the proper nourishment. which
consists of heterogeneous organic mat
ter; the most favorable place, for the
rapid increase of the germs, being in
the intestines of the human body The
typhoid bacillus from eXcrements, wat
err closets or manure piles, may find it's
way eventually into a well or other
source OF drinking water, through nu-
merous channels, IL such a course has
taken place, the other bacteria in great
number-Bact. Coli etc--will find the
same way in a similar manner These
have the characteristics Of; Assimilat-
ing albuminoid matter, fluidlfying gel
atine cultures and existing longer I'm
the water because they need less nour-
ishment for their maintenance than the
typhoid bacillus. They are found In
larger quantities because they find their
way into the water at every opportu-
nifty, while typhoid Is only rarely pres
ent or only under certain conditions, In
closets. manure piles etc.
These bacteria, always present In
large numbers, are called publication
bacteria because they create putrid or
foul decomposition. A water which
contains these In large numbers. there
fore, shows pollution and suspicion Of
having been the carrier of the typhoid
bacillus at the outbreak Of an epidemic.
or still acts as such, and the water
shows conclusively the COMMUNICATIONS
derived from excrements, cesspools,