The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1903-07-22
EASILY TAKEN.
Are Precautions which are Need
ed in Use of Liquids.

Subject-What TO do to Make Water
and Milk Harmless and Free from
Disease Something About
Filters and Their Use.
To The Editor of the NEW DOMINION.
Pending the official determination
of the source Of the typhoid fever in
this town, suspicion falls upon two
possible causes, the only ones worthy
of consideration, viz. the milk and
water supplies. In the meantime,
those who are wise will take every
precaution in the use of both.
In the case Of milk, most of US
know that it may be rendered safe
by simple heating in closed vessel
for half hour at temperature of
about $50 degree Fh., or something
below the boiling point. Boiling,
distillation, and filtration, are the
methods employed in the purifca-
ton of water. In spite of its con
venience, and the fact that the pal
atability of the water is not injured,
the latter methods appears to be
largely in disrepute, doubtless on
account Of the extensive reputation
which filters seem to have for be-
coming contaminated and dangerous.
For the public information, and in
cidcntally, with view to converting
some of the Itation's distilled water
patrons into users of the filtered ar
ticle, the following facts are present
ed.
There are upon the market, three
types OF so-called "germ proof
filters. The first includes the cheap
forms usually charged with sand or
charcoal. These act merely as
strainers, and, from a bacteriologi-
cal standpoint, are worthless, or
worse than worthless. The second
class includes the stone ware water
coolers, provided with porous filter
ing wall within. In theory, these
are all right. Practically, they are
no better than the preceding, for
the reason that. in addition TO filtra-
ton usually being exceedingly slow,
they cannot be readily sterilized.
The only domestic filters really
worthy of any consideration are that
class of which the Pasteur- Chamber
land and the Berkefield are the rep
resentatiye types. Each of these
consists of hollow pencil, or ''can-
dIe'' formed in the first class of
unglazed porcelain, and in the sec
ond Of infusorial earth, through
which the water is forced by city
pressure. Precisely the same ap-
paratus is now in common use by
psychologists for effecting the ster-
ilization of various fluids.
The point where nearly all house,
wives fail, however, is in the assump-
tion that these articles ARE to be
depended upon to give sterile water
indefinitely, the year round, without
any attention more than little oc-
casional cleaning. Rather, they
should be taken apart at least once
every three days and thoroughly
sterilized by boiling in water for
twenty minutes; unless this is done
they are not to be depended upon.
But with careful and regular sterili-
cation all psychologists are agreed
that the filters of this class are per-
fectly efficient and reliable.
In this connection brief descrip-
f,ov, IF 4ha u,otboJo ~ <roa4,,oof ~
municipal supplies is not inappro
pirate. Besides the European sys-
TEN of simple slow filtration through
sand-one that is not well adopted to
some OF our river supplies the sys
tenn known as the mechanical is now
in very common use. The filters
consist of series Of large tanks,
each containing about four feet Of
sand, through which the water pass
es following a period of subsistence
in settling basin. These filters are
usually washed twice daily by a
reverse current of filtered water.
In the case of towns using impure
supplies, and it may be accepted as
automatic that the raw water Of all
large livers is impure and unsafe
it is>now customary to add a coagu
latiDg medium to the water previous
to admission to the filters, thus re
moving most of the bacteria by foe
culation, Contrary to the usua
belief among the uniformed, this
coagulant has no deleterious effeci
whatever upon the quality of thu
water, as not trace of the same
passes the filters. but rather, it il
at once rendered as insoluble as tn,
clay with which it settles out.
Many recent tests have. shown tina
the mechanical system with coagu
latlon, is capable Of high degree o