The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-23
BOIL THE WATER.
State Bacteriologist Makes Re-
port on Chemical Analysis.
Finds That There Are Many
Germs Present.
NOT THE BAD KIND.
They Are Suspicious However
and Should be Boiled.
Detailed Report Filed With
State Board of Health.

According to the report of the state
bacteriologist, Sara e. Greenfield, Of
Topeka, the city water of Topeka is full
Of germs, and ought to be boiled as a
matter of precaution.
The culture" of the water however,
proves that the germs are all of the
harmless. lamblike species which dc not
particularly menace health. The boil
ing is simply to put an end to any black
sheep in the flock
No typhoid fever germs were found,
but IS colonies of bacillus coli com
NUNS We're found in one cubic centima-
ter of water. Bacillus coli communis is
itself harmless. but it has bad repu-
tation because of its associates. It has
a habit of lOahng around where there
are typhoid fever germs. Coli COM
NUNS IS what the police would regard
as suspicious character; a sort of a
hedge for the professional criminal. 1t
dies without agony when boiled.
The total bacteria population of
cubic centimeter of city water-about
/ ablespoonful-is estimated by DR..
Greenfield to be between 500 and 500.
This is a little bit overcrowded. Auth
critics figure that from 200 to 500 is
about all that one. cubic centimeter can
pr0ftably support. Most people win fig
ure, however, that as they can swallow
about 10000 germs with every glass of
water and not hurt thmeslves. an in
crease of a thousand or so is not likely
10 prove very disastrous.
J. W. O'Neill, manager of the Topeka
water company. when shown the report
of the bacteriologist. said:
4 am rot an expert in this sort of
thing, but l should say that / would
agree with the person who makes this
examination in her conclusions namely.
that the water should be boiled until
all organic matter in the water diSap>
pears. if there is organic matter there
I don't know when this examination
was made. 1t is quite possible that the
water is better now than it was SOME
days ago. Then the pipes were full of
water pumped in direct from the river
by the Santa Fe engines. Besides. our
wells were all under the river for a
time Now, however, we are pumping
from the wells, and the water is good
and pure. am very glad the examina-
ton has been made, and hope that Il
VIII tend to reassure people as to the
/ condition Of the city water under un-
favorab Bile conditions"
THE REPORT IN DETAIL
The report in full is as follows:
Topeka, Kan. June %, 1903
Dr.. Chas- Lowry, Secretary State
Board of Health.
In compliance with your request I
hereby submit the archaeological ex-
animation OF the city water.
Number of bacteria in city water Ia
ken at the Kansas Medical college as
shown by a forty eight hour growth
on gela till-between five and six hun
dred per cubic centimeter. According
to some authorities good sand filtered
river water should not contain more
than two hundred bacteria per cubic
centimeter, while others say anything
less than five hundred per cubic cent?
meter is not bad. A great majority Of
these germs are perfectly harmless.
Bacteria are not animals; they belong
to the vegetable kingdom, are usually
classed with the fungi. and are closely
related to the yeasts and moulds.
] was not able to estimate the ratio OF
the germs that liquify gelatin to those
that do not liquify gelatin on ac-
count of the fact that the whole of the
cultures had been changed from a solid
to a liquid state by the action of these
iquifying germs. This rapid change in
the gelatin shows that a great many
more of these germs are present than
should be found in good drinking water.
The gelatin liquifying bacteria bring
about putrifaction and decay and dead
animal matter. They are not directly
harmful to man: their presence points
to organic matter and organic matter
furnishes q basis for a suspicion that
the bacillus of typhoid fever may be
present.
Number Of germs that develop the
temperature of the body as shown by a
forty-eight hour growth on agar-agar-
about forty per cubic centimeter. These
germs are looked upon with suspicion