The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-04-13

How reached n wonderful degree Of per-
fcctton.A Naturally, every city would pre-
fer getting II supply which is naturally
pure, rather than having to resort to
Artificial qualifications. but In most large
cities recourse must be had to strcnh,s
as source of supply, and the instances
are few (and each year they arc becom-
Ing more rare, as the country is built up) I
IN which convenient stream can be
found which will furnish an abundant sup
ply of water which Is certainly unpo-
#lutcd. Hence purincaton, usually by ill.
trntlon, must almost always be rcsortcd
to-
Tho speaker hero described the chief
means of water publication on II large
scale, paying special attention to storage
rs u method which was gradually bccom-
ing better and better understood, and
which was Of special interest to the cit
liens Of Richmond on account Of tho fact
that they4are about to begin to use thar
system In this city. sz
in every CITY," he continued ut Is
Of the utmost Importance that the health
authorities study diligently the whole
question Of typhoid fever. In Richmond
last year there were 2SS cases of this
disease reported, with forty-one deaths,
eight of which were among non-rcsidents,
leaving thirty three among our own pco-
pie. This was an annual rate OF thirty.
eight per 100000. If each of these cases
| had been carefully looked into, and tho
| data worked up, we would have been able
| to state definitely, in most instances,
| where the trouble lay, but this would
| have involved considerable work, and the
health department did not have the means
whereWith to carry 1t on> In dozen or
| so cases which I personally investigated
! found contaminated wells responsible IN
almost every instance.
Not until we get the position OF
! medical inspector established, for
| which we arc now asking tho City
Council, will it BIO possible to follow
| up every ono of these cases of ty;
| phoid fevor and other infectious dis /,
cases. since this work will take all
Of one mans time and keep him very
! busy. or course typhoid fever 1nves-
tigation Will be but part of his
work, but even if 1t were confined
to this, the city would save annually
many times the salary Of $1,000 when
he is to receive. The ordinance Great
ing this office has already passed two
committees and the lower branch Of
the City Council. That it should have
encountered oven one opposing vote Is
difficult to understand, but this is
typical Of tho fight which marks every
step of advance in the securing OF
support in public health measures. 1t
is little remarkable that any one
should regard as fancy work those
policies which are universally recog-
nized to-day by all sanitary authors
ties. 4Eff.e5 III
"By all means let us have clean al
Ileys, but we must not imagine that
this alone will have any great effect
u on the health of the city, certainly
/ IL, ,3,,er n ~.
phoid fever. the origin of which is
clearly understood to- bo duo to far
different Causes
Contaminated Wells.
After referring in the language quoted
abovetto contaminated wells, the speaker
dealt somewhat at length with thu
methods Of determining the sanitary
: quality Of water, and stated that, though
tho value Of chemical analysis and bac
!, | THEOLOGICAL examination should not bt
underestimated, still 1t was a mistake It
, | regard these ~ constituting satisfac
/, tory substitute for tho Information which
could be obtained only by sanitary sur
I, vey of the surroundings.
. I'm every case Of Importance In whcl
, much depends upon the findings, thor
: ough study ,.of the watershed should b
made In the case Of streams, and OF tn
more immediate surroundings in tho cas-
. Of wells and springs. When necessary
: this should be supplemented by chamica
!, and meteorological examinations. blu
!, these. in the present stage Of thcs
. sciences, must never be relied on eX
clusively. Even II the methods wcr
: more perfect than they are. inspectio
!. should still be Ipracticed, since this alon
= can show aught Of the risks which ma
= menace u given source Of supply, a
:, though special sample sent to tn
+ analyst may be perfectly pure. All sha
% low wells In a closely built-up city al
necessarily bad, since tho water in thel
> has pcrcolated through soil saturate
with sewage"
: All-Day Meeting.