The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1914-08-21
(Copynght. 1914. by A. s Cray)
WATER.

| "Atol is suCH common, eVery-Oa
thing that few OF US give 1t an,
thought whatever, and just because 1
Ia free very large number OF per
sons do not drink it In sufficient Quan
| titles to maintain a good degree O
physical health. No other article O.
diet enters so completely Into the con
struction and support OF all Twins
things both animal and vegetable al
water, and 1t Is this very omnipres
ence OF water acting on that peculiar
twist OF the human mind that leads
us to treat familiar things with reck
less contempt that results in our Grim
inal indifference to water supplies.
AS a matter OF fact. water is an ele,
ment OF vast Significance In the main
tenance OF human life and efficiency
and to secure and maintain health the
individual citizen must know the truth
concerning this most important part
Of our diet.
The scaly cells on the surface OF our
skin, our hair and the tips of our
nails are the only parts of our bodies
that can live in air. About SO per
cent OF the cells that constitute our
bodies are still aquatic organisms and
can and do live and grow only when
swimming in salt water
Under favorable conditions we can
live for 30 days or more without food.
but not more than few minutes with
out air and only about three days with
out water. We're we to spend a mate
rial part Of the money we souander
On food for good air and good water
no doubt we should be vastly more
efncient, certainly we would be hap
pier, for there can be no real happi-
hess without good health.
Deprived OF water for three DAYS we
become delirious and die from poison
Ing by our own waste products. A
steady stream of water flowing
through our bodies Is necessary to
wash out and carry away the toxins
resulting from cell activity or we
must inevitably succumb to disease;
ana to keep this cleansing stream flow
Ing In sufficient volume we should
drink about two quarts OF fluid daily.
Absolutely pure water Is not found
On earth. Even freshly fallen rain wa
ter contains some foreign matter, the
amount and character of which de-
ponds on the degree of contamination
OF the air through which 1t falls. From
the moment the vapor is condensed
Into water In the clouds every drop
that falls begins to soak up something
out OF everything 1t touches on its
journey to the sea, SO that when we
use any of 1t from any source In our
diet we are really drinking the waste
water from natures laundry after she
has washed all out outdoors with It.
According to average local stand
ards. water is pure" and fit to drink
II 1t is more or less clear, does not
smell bad and does not quickly orig
mate some clearly defined disease In
the body OF the drinker. That II con-
tains pathogenic organisms or pto-
maines from the action of bacteria
upon decaying organic matter is dem.
onstrated only by some unusually Sc
we're outbreak OF disease in a commu.
nifty. and generally not until then is
It even suspected that the water may
be impure" If you are in i'll health
have your drinking water analysed
and the source OF supply investi-
gated.
Delivery OF drinking water contain
ng elements deleterious to life is GO
ng on in every section of this coun-
-ry, but because of our grossly made
luate vital statistics bookkeeping we
are unable to deduce the vastly valu-
lble knowledge to be derived there
rom. However, the concentration OF
people in the cities has compelled at
ention to public health matters so
hat money and organizations are EN-
'loyed and rules and regulations en-.
orced that have for their object the
protection of the inhabitants against
Infection through water, milk and
waste products.
Taking typhoid fever as a gauge, let
is compare conditions in several parts
4 the world. Germany. with a popu. /
alton density Of S10.9 per square mile /
more than ten times greater density .
han our own, had In the same pc /
Tod of time a typhoid death rate OF I
Z, compared with our 235 per lOO.- /
90 inhabitants: the Netherlands, with |
5S.S density, death rate of 5.4: Swift /
erland, with a density of 242.7, a nor
atty OF 3.S, and England and Wales.
18th density of 3726. death rate OF
My six per 100000 inhabitants, COM
AIRED with the United States with a
ensity OF only 500 and mortality
( 23.5.
The city OF Chicago in 1891 had a
Uphold rate OF 1873 per 10000 In
abitants. An investment of 2,00O.-
90 approximately s27 per capita for
he population OF the year 1922 in a
canal and the adoption of
Their reasonable sanitary precautions
sduced the typhoid fever death rate
1912 to only rs per 5000 inhabit-
nts, probably the lowest rate ever
scorded for an American CITY Of mora