The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-08-18


due to water Mr.. Hazen himself declares. That
threeuuarters is referred to in the first para
graph of this article the Fifteen thousand
needlessly slaughtered each year by polluted
water" Because, to quote Mr.. Hazen, three
quarters of the typhoid deaths could be pre-
vented, and thereby could be stopped this need
less loss of vital capital that is going Oh year
after year"
The way to save that three-quarters them is
by being careful which in this case means by
providing pure water. AS Mr. Hazen puts it,
by iltering all the water supplies OF the i'm
portant cities of the country, and by institut-
ing other necessary sanitary reforms"
AS proof of this let us see what has happened
to the death rate in those localities that have
purified their water supplies. The typhoid rate
of Rensselaer, for ten years averaged 61.9 per
100000 population. In 1908, after the water was
filtered, it fell to 30. Hudson changed from
Hudson river water to a purer supply, and the
rate fell from 59.2-the ten-year average-to
III. Poughkeepsies rate used to average 112.
In 1907 the filtration plant was improved. and
the rate fell to 345. In Albany the ten-year
average before filtration was 1873. Since fltra-
ton the tenyear average has been 222.
In Pennsylvania, Pittsburg had typhoid
rate, according to Health Director E. r. Wal
tiers, that from 1901 to 1907 averaged 1877. In
1907 the city spent $6,500000 for filter sys.
tenn During the three years since, the typhoid
rate has been 31.9-a decrease of more than
IS per cent
Chicago affords an even more striking exam.
pie of the benefit Of purifying the water supply.
In 1891 Chicago's typhoid rate was 1898 per
100000 the highest average typhoid rate in tho
civilized world Chicago purified its water by
building its wonderful drainage canal to keep
its sewage out of Lake Michigan In 1908 Chi.
cago's typhoid rate was 156-a reduction of 81
per cent.
Excellent as these achievements are there is
possibility Of an even greater reduction in the
typhoid rate.
The methods Of water publication are various.
undoubtedly hltrat1on comes first; but f1ltra-
ton is not infallible.
Another method of publication is the use Of
huge storage reservoirs Water is a Door me-
dunn for disease germs. and in it they die
quickly. To quote Mr.. Whipple again: "The
typhoid bacillus does not multiply in ordinary
drinking water. On the contrary the cells die.
Ultimately all the cells die The rate
varies greatly. In some experiments all died in
3 to days. In others germs lived a month.
In very cold water mortality is more rapid. -
Hence if water can be impounded in large
reservoirs and held for a time It tends to nurffv
iteslf
Sewage disposal is fully as important as wa
ter purification-that is, for any purpose except
the saving of human lfe If property is at
stake it is Indispensable
The problem of clean water is evidently not
a difficult one to solve. No nation has a finer
supply of water than We have
At the least you can guard the water that
comes into your house. See that you get fresh
water from the mains, and not water that has
stood for hours in the lead or brass pipes with.
in the house. House filters are plentiful; but
few of them are efficient They are merely
strainers.' Don't put ice in your water It may
contaminate it. Your great safeguard is is boil.
ing your water Particularly is this necessary
in the late winter. when typhoid epdemics so
often break out.