The Red Cloud chief., 1911-08-24


That three-Quarters Of the typhoid deaths are
due to water Mr.. Hazen himself declares. That
threeQuarters Is referred to in the first para
graph of this article as 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 thar is going on year
after year."
The way to save that three-Quarters. then, IL
by being careful, which in this case means BY
providing pure water. Az Mr. Hazen puts Il,
by hltering all the water supplies Of the I'm
portant cities Of the country. and by institut
ing other necessary sanitary reforms"
Al proof Of this let US see wnat has happened
to the death rate in those localities that havo
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 80. Hudson changed from
Hudson river water to a purer supply. and the
rate fell from 692-the ten-yesr average-to
III. Poughkeepsie's rate used to average ll2.
In 1907 the filtration plant was improved. and
tho rate fell to 34.6. In Albany the ten.year
average before filtration was SSS. Since htra-
tion the ten-year average has been 22.2.
In Pennsylvania. Pttsburg had a typhoid
rate. according to Health Director e. r. Wal.
ters. that from 1901 to 1907 averaged 1877. In
1907 the city spent &e6oo.00o for a filter sys-
tenn During tho three years since. the typhoid
rate has been S1.9-a decrease Of moro than
76 per cent
Chicago affords an even more striking exam.
pie OF the benent Of purifying the water supply.
In 1891 Chicago's typhoid rate was 1898 per
100000. the highest average typhoid rate in the
civilized world. Chicago purified its water by
building its wonderful drainage canal to keep
Its sewage out Of Lake Michigan In 1908 Chi.
caso's typhoid rate was 166-a reduction of 81
per cent.
a possibility OF an even greater reduction in the
typhoid rate
The methods OF water publication are various.
Undoubtedly filtration comes first: but hltra.
tion Is not infallible.
Another method of purifcatIon is the use Of
huge storage reservoirs. Water is a poor me-
dium for disease germs and In II 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
to days. In others germs lived a month
In very cold water mortality is more rapid"
Hence II water can be impounded In large
reservoirs and held for time. II tends to purify
iteslf.
Sewage disposal is fully as important as wa,
ter purihcation-that is, for any purpose except
the saving Of human life. II property is at
stake 1t Is indispensable.
.Ho P.oo'o"A VI S.o"u wafer ID eVlOentiy NOT
dihicult one to solve. No nation has a inner
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 10 IL boil
ing your water Particularly is this necessary
in the late winter. when typhoid epidemics 90
often break out