Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-08-11
A ~PuRlFIcATloN.
A Safe and Emcien' Destroyer Of
Aixae and Typhoid Germs.
BY b. BENJAMIN. ".

luton Que 10 germs WHICH GIVE rise 10
typhoid and other serious diseases, sci
entists recognize water contamination
which, without being dangerous TO
health. renders the water offensive In
odor and taste and unit Tor use. In
many cases troubles 10 water supplies
are produced by algae, or vegetable
growths, and not by injurious bacteria.
Such annoyance Ia connection with wa
ter supplies is widespread. Among the
complaints ~oftenest heard are that the
water has a tishy taste aud odor; that
il tastes and smells Ike rotten wood:
that the water is musty: that there is
believed TO be some -lecomposing ami
NAL body i'm IL or dead fish. Sometimes
water 50 affected becomes so repulsiye
that neither horses nor dogs viii drink
IL. In some cases water viii be very
foul for six TO eight weeks during the
hottest part of summer In others the
special period OF rank odOr and taste
may occur during the autumn In 9th
ers stll il is q mud all the year mat
ter. The necessity II ending some
cheap method Of preventing or emo
Ing algae contamination OF cress beds
first led the bureau OK plant industry TO
investigate methods Of securing purih
cation Of water.
Or. Moore and Mr.. keIerman,
who have been engaged In this re-
search. have found that il is entirely
practicable TO cheaply and quickly de
stroy Objectionable algae in small
lakes, ponds, storage reservoirs and
other similar bodies of water by the
use of extremely dilute solutions Of
copper sulphate or Of metallic copper
The fact that an extremely dilute so
luton Il to 100000 will also destroy
the most virulent typhoid and cholera
bacteria at ordinary temperatures in
three hours is of great importance and
significance. Solutions of copper as
dilute as this are not considered in
furious TO man or other animals. II
Is stated by these investigators, now
ever. In the report upon their work.
that the use of copper sulphate for
the prevention OF disease is regarded
as incidental and is not designed in
any way to supplant efficient proven
tive measures now In use 1t is be-
lieved, however, that up to this time no
such satisfactory means of thoroughly,
rapidly and cheaply sterilizing a reser.
voir have been known, since the cop
per sulphate is fatal to p%athogenic
forms peculiar to water, Willie beneti-
cial bacteria are not affected by it.
Ii is unfortunate for the general pub
lie that these authorities find il neces-
sary to emphasize the statement that
mo rule for determining the amount
OF copper sulphate to be added al be
given. Each body of water must be
treated In the light OF its special con
ditions."
Definite knowledge in regard TO what
organisms are present, the constitu-
ton OF the water. its temperature and
other important facts are considere'
necessary before II is possible to deter
mine the proper amount of copper sui
phate 10 be added. A m~icroscopical
examination thus becomes as impor-
tant as a meteorological or chemical
analysis
1t is stated that the cost of material
for discriminating algae will not ex-
coed so 10 90 cents per million gallons
and will usually be less. The destruc.
ton OF pathogenic bacteria requires an
expenditure Of from IS to So per mil
lion gallons. not including the cost of
labor.