Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-11-21
DAILY kENNEBEc JOURNAL. SATURDAY. NOVEMBER 81 1914


happened, for the samples Of the past
two years have been more dirty than
those of the preceding two years.
A Serious Indictment
This condition constitutes a serious
indictment of the milk supply of the
State as dirty milk is surely evidence
of carelessness on the part of the pro-
Queer. The prevalence of such a
proportion of dirty milk in our State
supply is far more important, from
health standpoint, than the amount or
actual adulteration that we find; es-
pecially in view of the fact that the
various diseases due to milk are not
diseases of the COW herself: but that
the germs of the specific disease have
been introduced from outside sources
at some time during the preparation
and marketing of the milk. Dirty and
polluted milk is most dangerous
commodity as, in it's raw state and
in large amount. it constitutes the food
supply not of the healthy and adult
individual, but of the invalid and
child.
There is no branch of public health
work that this State can take up with
greater benefit to the general pubic
than that of cleaning up its milk sup
plies. Following the examples or
other states prosecutions should be
brought against the vendors of dirty
milk. Our dairy laws, in common
with those of many other states,
classes as adulterated any milk to
which a foreign substance has been
added.
Certainly there Is no question but
that manure, straw, earth and sand
are foreign substances This has
been held by the highest courts of
many states. Publicity seems to
have failed to remedy the dirty con-
dition of our milk supply, so that
the necessity for sterner measures is
necessary.
| Water Analysis.
"As has been the case since the es-
tablishment of the laboratory, we have
continued the past two years the eX-
animation of both the public water
supplies of the State, and the ex-
animation of such Individual supplies
as our time has permitted.
During the past two years we have
examined 2707 water samples. This
Is an increase of 444 samples examined
in the preceding two-year period, or
gain in number of 17.S per cent. This
is a very considerable increase when
we consider that 1t has been accom-
plished without increase in either the
laboratory force or equipment.
/ "Out of this number of samples 1144
i came from the public water supplies
of the State, and 1868 came from in
dividual supplies. 1t has beer
claimed that with the passage of time
the call for analyses from individual
water supplies would fall off. Thi!
has not been the case; the number Of
such calls increasing from year t.
year.
i "One noticeable feature in connec
ton with the analysis of the in
dividual water supplies has been The
large number of samples in which
lead has been found in the water
During the past two years we have
found 433 more samples with lead II
them. making a total of 1174 samples
that we have knowledge of, which
contain lead.
In this State we have no water:
which contain lead compounds as thel
issue from the ground Any lead tina
Eappears in the water on analysis ha
entered the water through the solven
. action of the water on lead or SOM
compound of lead. In few cases tn
lead in a water has been traced to {
white lead, used in the unions be
tween lengths of iron pipe. In thi
case it's occurrence is but temporary
In one case it was due to bucket o
white lead left in the well, and, II
another, to the old lead pipe being LEI
in the bottom of the we'll, after tn
pipe from the we'll to the house hat
been discontinued
But, in the very great majority o
cases, the lead we find in the waite
has come from the action of tn
water on the lead pipes, which ar
used to convey the waters from thei
sources.
Our surface waters have practi
cally no solvent action on lead. Thei
exposure to the air permits of YER
thorough aeration, and many If Their
deposit enough vegetable material OF
the lining of the pipe to protect
from direct contact with the waite!
| IL the surface waters are SuDJeCtSu L
mechanical filtration, with the use o
coagulant, they do become quite &C
!. lively lead solvent. Experiments
work on the line in the case of tn
Biddeford plant showed that it wa
out of the question to use lined pip
with this water, even though tn
present permanence of street con
, struction makes desirable the use D
some pipe that will not rust out a
fast as does unlined iron.
In this State we do not have Z
seriously consider the possibility }
trouble from lead solution in the cas-
of our surface waters.
With one other class of waters w
do not have to worry about lead so
luton to any extent. This elias
comprises the very hard waters of tn
northern part of the State, derives
from deep wells in the calcariou
slate, and from the limestone an
dolomite areas Of small size, scattere,
about the State.
an the case of these waters TIL
carbon dioxide, which is the activ