Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1904-04-01
THE PURITY OF WATER
An Able Opinion which Combats
Some Common Illusions Spring
Water Not Always Pure

Water Not Always Pure
EDITOR PIKE COUNTY PREss:-
After reading in your last issue the
following letter:
'sThe Washington water works
have been giving the capital city
muddy water for its inhabitants tC
drink, until il is as brown as Mississ-
ippi river water. The scientists have
come TO the rescue, and DR.. Wiley,
promoter Of pure-food products, an
nOunces that no other water is So
sweet and healthy as the muddy
Potomac because the mud kills all
the germs that produce typhoid fever
and other diseases. DIR. Woodward
the health officer Of the district, and
a lecturer in one of the law colleges,
warns people to beware Ofpure water,
especially springs and brooks. This
water contains deadly disease germs,
and they are much more active and
insinuating because they no not exist
in such great numbers. Running
water, says DIR. Woodward, is espec-
tally to be avoided. 1t is alive with
death. All this is exceedingly con-
fusing to the public. What next2''
had the opportunity Of meeting
DR.. l.. de Plasse who resides in Mil
ford since his accident, and expressed
to him my surprise at the contents Of
this report. He told me 1t is correct
and gave me this explanation; The
color of the water does not aggravate
its nature, the water of river may
be muddy without generating any
harm, if this color is due to earthly or
even to fresh organic substances, The
water may be less insoluble than
disagreeable to the sight and taste.
A French scientist, E. Grellois, has
followed for experiment during a
certain time the regime of earthly
water without impairing his health,
this imperfection disappearc with the
most certainty by decantahon and
filtration. The germs contained in
it are Auaerobic and are not killed
by any toxic substance but by the
action of the Oxygen Of the air which
is likely imprisoned by this muddy
substance and consequently has a
more prolonged and more powerful
effect.
About the spring water 1t is a FREE
quent error among the people and
even among scientists to believe it is
always a pure drink. tits ordinarily
clear, limpid and mostly agreeable on
account Of its low temperature, but,
if you consider the formation of a
spring and its exit from the ground,
you will admit easily that very often
this water contains the germs OF
various diseases and mostly of typhoid
fever. Spring water is nothing else
but the rain water which passes
through the ground until it meets a
hard and impermeable coat which
forms a kind Ofresevoir or basin from
which it runs out through a fissure OF
a permanent canal.
1t is impossible theoretically and a
priori to give specific qualities to the
spring water, because the constitution
and the physical conditions Of these
waters depend on numerous and
various circumstances and mostly
from the nature of the soil. The rain
water is charged with different sub
stances Of the atmosphere when it
reaches the surface of the ground in
which 1t penetrates carrying various
products found there, like the germs
Of different diseases as Malaria,
typhoid, etc., and the organic detritus
deposited on the surface of the fields,
roads, streets, ETC., which will aci
according to the composition of the
soil situation between the surface OF
the ground and the water accumula-
tion. If this action aud the agitation
Of this water in the atmosphere aftel
its exit from the ground can give it q
good proportion Of air and carboni,
acid, the result is satisfactory.
In case of doubt It is better to max,
the analysis Of the water chemically
and microscopically and if there II
danger Of any contamination, boil
the water and expose it after to the
action Of the air to give the necessary
Oxygen and carbonic acid. Tn,
spring water which furnishes tn,
houses Of Milford offers very favorabl,
conditions. 1t seems 10 have It.
source from the sawkill brook, take
its way to the reservoir under d
beneficial soil composed Of gooC
ground one to two feet deep, gravel
few feet and much sand which al
act as a natural filter. The surface o
this soil Is free from adjacent build
ings aud other causes Of impurities.
+. BRUNAs.