The Washington times., 1906-08-15

Owing 10 the fact that a vast deal Of
typhoid is traceabIe to the water used
ia The District. It IS thought by some
that the proposed plan Of using suIphate
OF copper IN order 20 XIII the germs
should be given further consideration.
Dr. Alexander Kent, pastor of the Pe0-
pies Church, believes the water becomes
impure after fl passes through the filter
ing plant and some steps should be
taken TO remedy this. In a letter 10 The
Times De asks that the copper men be
heard from
Dr. Kent said today.
Before our altering plant was finished
There was much discussion in the daily
press touching the possibility and ad-
visibility of using a preparation or cop
per 10 destroy the typhoid germs then
making such inrOads on the health OF the
city
The advocates OF this preparation, as
I remember, made very strong claims
regarding its harmlessuess 20 humans.
and its deadly character to typhoid
germs. But TIE feeling OF those IN au-
thority was that there was some risk
in making the experiment and more
doubt as 20 the desired result. Besides
10 was thought that with such a flter
as we were 20 have we would be praCu-
Cally exempt from danger i'm our water
supply. But Il seems that IN this we
We're mistaken.
IL is now said-witn what authority 1
do not Inow-that the waterpipes are
breeding places fo- these germs, and
hence the dlteriuE process which takes
place before The water enters the pipes
is OF no value as q preventive.
Test the Solution.
Would It not be worth while TO test
.
If this could not be employed To destroy
the germs Ia the pipes? ] do not re
call the name OF the scientist who advO-
Gated the use of this preparation. but
your man of all Information will prob
ably be abls 10 locate him, and have
tho question opened up, unless II is
known TO be not worth discussing
Certainly the increase of this serious
malady in the face of what was sup
posed 10 be tho most effective means Of
checking 1t calls for action of some
sort. Let Is hear from the copper
men
Acting Superintendent T. D. Beck
with, of the Laboratory of Water PuTl-
hcatiou al the Department OF Agrtcul-
ture, from which the suggestion of using
copper TO Kill typhoid germs in water
emlnated several years ago, stated to-
day that this system is being used with
an unusual degree OF success and IL has
been proven more than a theory, since
it has been repeatedly demonstrated IN
laboratories in other large cities that
the action Of n copper vessel on the
water which 10 contains is germicidal,
especially so to the typhoid germ.
Prof Beckwith added that sulphate
of copper is now placed in the water
used i'm several scores Of Eastern and
Western cities and cases of typhoid are
rare Owing to the absence of Superin-
Iendent x. r.. Kellerman, who with
Prof. George Moore. first announced
that sulphate of copper had a most
deadly effect upon typhoid germs, the
names of the cities could not be OBJ
tanned.
Exhaustive Investigation.
II was stated at the Bureau Of Plant
Industry, I'm which the water laboratory
Is located. that an exhaustive investiga-
tlon was made by scientists before they
made the announce ment about the eff
cacv OF copper Mr. Beckwith said the
investigation showed that bad water
which was responsible for typhoid re-
ceIVed many o. its deadly germs from
weeds growing on the banks or islands
IN streams from which the drinking
water of cities was taken
No official communicating has passed
between the laboratory and the District
Health Office officials in regard 10 the
employmeut of suIphate of copper TO
aid in the fight against typhoid. so Mr.
BeCkWith stated IT is known, however,
at the laboratory that Dr. ~ oOdWard
does not advocate the adoption OF the
copper solution IN the water.