Pocahontas star herald., 1914-07-17


ods must use the water that the ma
tiyes depend upon, Under these cir
eums,anees We may look for the ap-
pearance OF such diseases as are wa
ter borne and are prevalent In the
communities using the water
The methods 20 render the water
notable are naturally those used In
temporary emergenci"s as rule
boiling. altering and the use OF chem
ieals. Portable appliances are used In
the army 10 render the water safe
When this ls not practicable We may
always fall back upon boiling for taia
may be actually done by the indiWdu'
al soldier With his metal cup as the
receptacle. Il has been found, how
eser. that Il Is an impracticable and
almost impossible procedure as 70
accomplish such a measure requires
fuel. the hre, time 20 boil and time
10 cool the water 20 enable II To be
drunk Either the soldier has. In the
heat OF the march or battle TO drink
water as he hnds Il or some simple
method has TO be devised that may
meet this necessity In a more prae'
ticable manner
The held filter weighs 60 pounds
and this limits Its use TO such col
umns as are provided with transpor'
tatlon to carry Il about The prae'
teal use OF calcium chloride as a dis
injecting agency Is excessive In cities.
Its use In portable plants in suitable
form for armies has not been satisfae'
torily worked out but promises a pos
sible solution for this yeXing question.
Disposal Of Wastes
Only less important than a supply
OF potable water In camp Is an Ell
Client method for the disposal OF hu'
man wastes. Excreta In camp becoms
a most dangerous focus for the dis
semination OF such diseases as are
spread through this means by direct
contamination or pollution Of water
aud milk and BY hles. In the last
large camps maintained by the army
In Texas In 1911 and 1918. a most
eficient system was used. On still
larger scale. but for a shorter time.
the same system was in use at the
Gettysburg reunion In 1913. Briefly.
this consists for each company organi-
cation OF a trench sixteen to twenty
feet long, two to two and one.half feet
vide and six feet deep. over this Is
placed a boz cover. which forms a
seat with tight covers. The whole
boz Ats TO the ground so closely and 10
80 tightly made that dies are excluded.
Each morning q gallon OF oil and 10
pounds OF straw are burned In this
trench This has the effect OF de-
stroylnE ny larvae, incinerating the
surface OF the contents Of the trench
and It's solid walls and deodoriEing
For a year In the Texas camps this
system has given complete sausfae'
ton. II will be observed that again
the distinction must be made between
camps semipermanent 10 character
and the camp OF troops actually In
the held For the latter, OF course, no
elaborate system Is appropriate. Shal'
low trenches are used and covered
after "a hours. The facilities pro
yided for the civil population are
used when troops are In possession OF
towns and cities
The use OF deep trenches In camp
Ia somewhat limited by the character
OF the ground High ground water
and rocky outorops forbid their use
We can then use very satisfactory In
cinerators In semipermanent camps
These are more expensive. as fuel Is
required When a large camp Is In
the enyirons Of a city with a sewerage
system and is to be occupied for a
considerable time connection may be
made with the established city sys
tenn This was actually done during
the past few months st Texas City.
This system was devised by
the Reed.Shakespeare board
which investigated the typhoid cpl
denies In the camps during the war
with Spain. This is known as the
Reed trough system, and is merely a
galvanized iron trough and urinal that
contains a mixture OF lime and water
As the eKcrement and urine are de
posted into this they are not dis
turbed by tiies. The contents OF the
trough are removed at intervals by an
odorless eNcayator and deposited at a
distance on fields as fertilizer. This
system Is limited 10 weather oondi
Tons bat do not reach the freezing
point
Moving Armies Police Themselves.
it has been an axiom In past wars
that moving armies were healthy
This is merely an expression OF the
fact that moving troops get away
from their own camp pollution This
is stlll true unless the troops ia semi
permanent camps are protected from
themselves by a sanitary system FOR
the disposal OF human wastes. To a
lesser extent the other camp wastes
are a menace TO the health OF troops
II neglected
Flies, the spreaders Of typhoid. dys
entery aud perhaps other diseases by
mechanically carrying the organisms
on their feet breed In the droppings
OF the horses and mules. and also In