The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1911-01-20

from n general water supply the mat
ter Is under the immediate control Of
the householder.
IF one cannot afford an nrtesian well,
AT least deep well should be sunk
and rigid precaution taken against con.
tamnation from household sewage.
The most horrible and uncivilized con.
ditiOn that cnn possibly exist Is shnl.
low surface we'll or spring adjacent to
shallow surface sewage vault.
No community should permit such
combination to exist and the indlvid
ual who exposes his family to such
risks assumes n terrible responsibility.
The distance which sewage vault
may be located from well without
risk Is theoretically sixty feet. As q
matter of fact, the combination Is al
ways dangerous, no matter what the
distance maintained. as the surface
water may carry the bacteria Of dis
ease to considerable distance. The
best plan Is to have deep well thor
oughly protected within a radius Of
several feet by cement platform. so
that surface water from the dooryurd
cannot pollute II. The earth closet
should be used instead of the pestif-
erous sewage vault. or II the latter
evil is permitted II should be as dis
tant from the well as possible on n
lower level and drain away from II.
The liberal use of dry earth and chic
ride of lime may prevent sickness and
suffering not to speak of heavy fnan
cial loss.
The Ideal System.
A far better plan is to install "sur-
face irrigation" system. These sys.
tens devised by the late Colonel War
ing of New York provide for dis
posal of the house waste and sewage
through n house drain to q tank or
reservoir, which automatically empties
its accumulated contents by espionage
into Il series of pipes, which distribute
the material directly on the surface
of the soil in some field sloping away
from the house. An area Of one-tenth
of an acre will receive and care for the
waste of household Of twelve per-
sons This waste when delivered to
| the field Is an inoffensive milky mix
| ture which the bacterial and chemical
agencies in the surface soil soon dis
| pose of If a proper interval Is allowed.
The cesspool, like all devices that
accumulate sewage and allow 1t to
decompose, may he focus of disease
distribution. 1t is far inferior to the
above described system.
All wells should be screened, pre-
venting contamination by flies, mos
| quitocs, etc.
If good well water cannot be oh,
tanned the rainwater may be filtered
and collected in a cistern. Cistern
water is not very palatable, but it can
be kept pure and tends to purify itself
on standing.
Rainwater is soft and, like all soft
waters, readily dissolves lead. II
should not be stored in metal re
ceptacles. therefore, or run through
leaden pipes.
What to Do With Pure Water.
|
| question arises. How shall we use it
lnasmuch as about 20 per cent of the
body weight is made up of water, nc
| argument is necessary to show that Il
certain daily supply is necessary II
the body weight is to be maintained
About one-half of the solid food we
eat is composed of water but it Is
estimated that, in addition. the average
man requires about two and one halt
| pints. or three tumblerfuls, daily.
| A great deal of nonsense is written
regarding the amount of water thai
should be taken daily, the amount
suggested running up into the gallons
No doubt some people do not drink
enough water. especially between
meals, but the taking of vast quaint
ties of water may work serious injury
by overtaXing the heart and circula
ton and causing an overaction of the
kidneys. Dilation of the stomach may
also result from overdistention witt
fluid. 1t is believed that some of the
a.