The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-04-12
TOKILL TYPHOID GERMS
 IN DRINKING WATER
SUBSTANCE DISCOVERY BY 4
 GOVERNMENT EXPERT.
Not ,hs Bordeaux solu.lon-An Expense of Fifty Cents to Clear Reservoir of a Million Galions-Fivs Thousand Experiments Made Without single Failure.

Washington, April 11.-A great deal
 of rubbish is being published concern ing the experiments of the agricultural
 department in the direction of the elim-
 mating of the typhoid bacteria in drink
 ing water The story published in a
 New York newspaper that the Bor-
 deaux solution is being used is baseless.
 Neither that nor anything like 1t is
 being used. The Bordeaux solution
 theory was exploded long ago. The fact is that experiments have
 been made for the last three years, and
 have progressed far enough to justify
 the department officials in declaring
 that the typhoid bacteria can be ex- terminated in any body of water by very simple and inexpensive means and
 without the possibility of injury to any, body. The agent used by the depart
 ment experts, however while a prepar-
 ation of copper is not the Bordeaux so- lution at all, but is placed in the water
 as solid and allowed to dissolve there.
 The quantity and manner of use de-
 bends upon local conditions, and the
 purpose for which the preparation is brought into play.
 l In the quantities used by the experi- mentors it has been found that the wa ter treated by the preparation is abso- lutely tasteless, and that after A hours
 the presence of the preparations cannot
 be detected even by ordinary chemical test.
 But the work of disinfection is ac- lcomplished almost instantly bacteria and algea being removed within a few
 hours at the most. Dr. George T.
 Moore of the agricultural department is the discoverer of this new method of disinfection. The important develop ment has been in the matter of appli- cation. Dr. Moore was asked some time l ago to go down to Virginia and experi-
 ment with view to finding some way of destroying the algae, which were ing considerable financial loss to the people in terested in that industry The algae is the water plant, which cause the i'll smelling scum on the top
 of stagnant pools. It is unsightly and offensive, although not dangerous to health as far as known, and It has
 ruined many water supplies on account I of it's offensiveness.
 Dr. Moore found after many expert ments that his preparation of copper would absolutely clear away the algae and the resulting scum. Incidental to lsthat the germinating grounds of the mosquito would also be rendered sterile, for it is in this scummy substance that the mosquito lays it's eggs.
 For the purpose of destroying algae
 the process is very simple indeed. Sheet copper may be used effectively in some
 cases. The proportion varies according to conditions from one part in every 750,0O OOO00 to one part in every million.
 The cost is hardly to be considered:
 It would cost only fifty cents to clear
 a reservoir of 1,OO0,O00 gallons. 1 Dr. Moore has carried on his experi- ments in Boston and Springfield, Mass, land Winchester Ky, with a view to clearing the city water supplies. He has met with absolute success thus far. and has made something like 1000 ex-
 periments without a. failure.
 He hit upon the effectiveness of his preparation in the case of typhoid bac- teria by an independent line of experi- ments, and he is convinced that it is equally effective there
 He is now at work on new line of experiment.