The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-09-26
tHE CITY HEALTH AND WATER
fredericksburg Absolutely Free from Contamlna'
ton In It's Water Supply.

'
ton In It's Wafer Supply.
So much Of wild rumor and iutemper-
ate talk Of typhoid fever and diphtherla
in Frederi ksburg this summer las been
given To the public by alarmists and by
the thoughtlessly ignorant. whose knowl-
edge of the actual condition would not
Justify any statements on their part,
that the Council Committee on Health
and the local division Of the State Board
al Health have gone 10 the bottom of the
mntter and have incurred considerable
expense To ascertain the true condition
Of affairs regardless Of any consldcra-
tons. The truth was last night laid he
fore the City Council 10y the Committee
on Health and the division OF the state
Board of Health. aud it has established,
beyond any possible doubt, that Freder-
ickshurg \ health il ~ good, II not bet
ter. than that Of any city in the STATE ol
Virginia, il not in the entire South. No
"liuuid poison il being supplied the clt-
liens by the City Water Works, but ON
the contrary. the reports published here
under show that while the water X
slightly discOlOed a condition from
which no system Oi open water Is Tree,
vet the water * pumund Wholesome ANA
contains nothing whatever Injurious 10
the health OF the people.
The report OF DR.. Barney and OF the
expert chemist and bacterioloSi4t, as
made to the City Council, are 10y order Of
the Council published. They arr as ioE
lows:
fredericksburg VA Sept. u. 1909.
Mr.. W. l.. Watson, Chairman Com
mittee ON Health and Police;
Sir. bog TO present herewith "A par
tial repOit OF tine work done by me fol
lowing the directions of the Joint meet.
ing of your committee and the Board ol
Health held ON September 9TH, 100.
A. instructed at that meeting. ! made
q thorough personal examination oil
boswell Field, disinfected with sui
phur and formaldehyde gas ) houses
used : protective and furnished curative
dose OF antitOxine and had the water
supplv OF the city and also the spring
near the silk Mil" Analysed. The
analysis by DR.. Ernest Levy, oi KEN
mond. accompanies this.
beg 10 report 10 yOurcommittee thal
there is no case OF diphtheria now under
treatment in the city, and only one lo
cality where there * typhoid The gen
eral sanitary condition IL better than loI
some time past. and only two deaths
have occurred 80 far this month.
Your committee has always cooper
ated with the Board OF Health in ON
mutual efforts 10 improve conditions 81
hygiene. and ! should recommend that
Won continue the excellent work oi tn
past go days in removing possible sources
of danger to the health OF our citizens.
Very truly,
j. a. Barney. VI. D.,
Health officer
Richmond. Va. sept. rs, 1903.
DR.. J. y. Barney. fredericksburg Va.
Nv Dear DR.. Barney: herewith enclose
my report ON the waters from silk NIL
Spring" and boswell Field. 20 The results
OF the analysis were a. positive as could
b. without a study Of local conditions
From nv own work. and the iniOrma
ton furnished 10y you. think that thu
sample marked boswell Field can be
safely said 10 have no connection witt
any typhoid fever eases in that district
This opinion is far more positive than
any that could have been given from a
mere negative finding a. to bacillus
typhi. u.
In the ease Of the silk Mill Spring a.
po.itiye opinion can not be given. The
findings were such that would not adyis'
using this water. Should this advice be
difficult To follow. the only thing To dc
would be 10 have a thorough inyestl
CATION made, which might result in such
positive condemnation Of the spring as
To make disseminating its useimperatlve
or. on the other hand, it might result III
finding some means 10y which the pollu
ton might be corrected.
II anything in my report Is not per
fectly clear. let me know 80 that may
further explain. | herewith enclose my
bill for services rendered hope you
may soon have the opportunity OF visit
ing nv laboratory and seeing how wei
am fixed for this kind of work.
Very truly yours,
+. c. Levy.
WATER ANALYSIS.
fredericksburg. Va. Samples collected
bv DR.. J. ". Barney September ., 1909
M