Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-07

deaths in two months and five days. This,
N continued. would mean a large rate Tor
1910. but such a sporauc increase for
month or two often happens with but an
ordinary showing at the end OF the year.
Il find that in the year 1907 there were
cighty-seven deaths from typhoid, and In
iy0S there were slKty-four. In all probabH-
ity the development Of cases will gradually
decrease and there Is no reason to believe
1910 viii exceed that Of previous years.
Il shall, however. recommend the steril-
ization or dlsinfection Of this water. II is
my opinion that all such water should be
purified either by filtration or sterilization.
In the case Of the Missouri river water
as delivered to Omaha l do not feel that
filtration is necessary, as the water is ao-
ceptable TO the eye and taste. Even II I'LL
tratlon is used It is my opinion that steril-
lzatlon should be used in conjunction
with H.
work for Health Department.
Il have already recommended that this
process be used under the complete super
vision Of the health department, that the
bacteriologcal and chemical examinations
should be made by the officers Of this de-
partment so the regularly constituted au-
thorities having jurisdiction over the public
health shall be able to vouch for its health
fulness.
Il have already recommended to DR.. Con-
nell health commissioner. that Dr. Milsrd
Langfeld, on a trip which he Is about to
make to the east spend some time Al the
plant OF the Jersey City Water Supply com
pany that he may become converssnt with
the methods used and the results attained
at the first plant in which the process was
put in use. This process was installed IN
September, 1908, and since that time be
tween 40 100000 and JOOO0O0O gallons OF
water have been used daily. with daily
tests with the most satisfactory results
The typhoid death rate has been between
9 and 10 per 10000. the lowest rate Of any
city Of that size in the United states.
Process to Purify Water.
The process used at Boonton and other
places consists in adding to the water the
so-called bleach, which is really oxychloride
Of lime. On the addition Of this to the
water II breaks into loosely formed comb
and breaks into chloride Of lime, which ls
harmless and alert and is naturally in water
and into the hypochlorite Of lime. The
hypochlorite Of lime is acted upon by car
bonic acid either free or half bound IN the
water and is broken into more chlorites OF
lime and hypochlorous acid. This acid is
the presence Of organic matter this acid
gives off the atom o. The II. G. L. left,
which is hydrochloric acid, drains off the
weaker carbonic acd united with lime,
forming carbonate OF lime uniting itself
with lime to form more chloride Of lime,
the H. going off as gas.
THE atom o. given off from the II. G.
L. o. have named potential oxygen. 1t is
nascent or active oxygen similar to ozone.
1t attacks and oxydises or destroys or
ganic matter. having a selectfve action upon
the bacteria The entire action of the so
luton Of bleach added to the water is due
to the action of this atom o. So tho en-
tire process is simply one OF oxydation or
the combustion Of organic matter by means
Of active oxygen.
The only difference in the water so
treote is a slight increase in hardness
due to the increase OF the chloride OF lime,
the amount used is from to IL parts per
million, which is negligible, q decrease in
the carbonic acid. which is desirable and a
destruction OF bacteria, especially those of
disease, which is more desirable.
1T is an asoertained fact that the action
of the process Is first to destroy these
germs Of disease and then the more hardy
by harmless water and soil bacteria in the
water.
THE process has been studied and ap-
proved by leading scientists In this coun-
try and abroad and is in use in more than
200 places in this country, Germany, Russia
and Belgium"