Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-01-13
BULLETIN OF SANITARY
WATER ANALYSIS Is
OF MUCH INTEREST
Important Facts Relating TO Typhoid
Fever and Other Things In Paper
Prepared by Hare OF Agricultural
College.


agricultural College Experiment sta
ton Bulletin
When rain falls to the ground and
%percolates through the soil it takes in
solution some of the soluble material
in the strata through which it passes.
From a sanitary standpoint we can
not speak of all these dissolved sub
stances as impurities. for many of
the mineral constituents in the water
are not harmful; on the other hand
some of them are very beneficial to
the health, as is well known to be the
case with many mineral springs that
are famous for their curative proper
ties. For convenience we may divide
those substances occurring in the wa
ter into inorganic and organic matter
The inorganic matter consists of the
various soluble minerals. Some of the
most common OF these are soda, lime
stone, gypsum, epsoms and glaubers
salts, A limited amount of any or all
of these does moi affect the value OF
water for drinking purposes. All nat
ural waters contain more or less Of
some or all of them. An excess or
'ihNHt SRAN HAVhoRAs 'hihA AVhc ~
the health Of most people, but a linn
tied moun may be beneficial To
fix a limit, however. to the amount
that a water should have to render It
unfit for drinking purposes is impos-
sihie as this would doubtless differ for
different individuals. People who are
accustomed to drinking soft water will
object to a water containing over 40
parts of inorganic salts in 1000 0
parts of water. Few people in New
Mexico drink water with less han
this amount In many cases waters
are used continually with no apparent
bad effects when the solids amount TO
as much IS 500 parts per 0 0,0Oo. In
the Rio Grande valley we call a water
palatable and good If the amount does
not exceed 100 parts in loo. 600. More
than this quantity makes a water n
desirable from a general domestic, ii
not from a sanitary standpoint.
The organic matter in the water
may be OF animal or vegetable origin.
In addition to these h water may
also contain different low forms of
life such AS the germs of typhoid
fever and other diseases. The latter
can live but "a short time in water free
from animal or vegetable matter,
since these are the source of their
food. 4 water may contain large
quantities OF animal refuse derived
directly from a cesspool or water
closet. and Vet be free of typhoid
germs, but when the food is present
the germs may be added at any mo-
meut by an infected patient Since
animal refuse is the source Of typhoid,
il is very essential that all potable
waters be free from this matter. The
presence OF considerable quantities OF
vegetable matter would not necessar-
lily render "A water unfit for domestic
use.
In New Mexico where there is an
abundance of chlorine ia all natural
waters the only reliable method OF
m%easuring the quantity OF animal mat
ter present Is by a demonstration Of
the free and ulmuminoid ammonia.
small amounts OF these forms Of ann
monia viii result from decomposition
OF vegetable matter, but where wat
contain them In considerable
quantity there Is 4 suspicion
Of animal contamination. and on the
ground OF possible danger the water
should be condemned. As TO just
what quantity of ammonia a water
contain 60 indicate animal
than vegetable contamination
would depend partly upon the amount