The Penn's Grove record., 1915-10-29
NEW BOARD OF HEALTH
Continued from page y

anu llCIAAUCA VI kAG 00ASNE
materials in his Chemistry of Familiar
Things says that nitrates are decay
ed organic matter which may come
from leaf mould or other vegetable
matter. besides the excrements OF ami
mai matters, which are largely digest
ed vegetable matter.
Prof. Charles Harrington, OF Harvard,
in his Manual for Practical Hygiene,
saws, Small amounts of nitrates may
be derived from the air by ABSORPTION
or by cleaning action of the rain and
may be due to metallic surfaces. Nj
trates are seldom absent in either sur
face or ground water (6 or z more In
100, 000)."
Here are two scientists who declare
that nitrates may be in water without
coming from sewage, altho Boards OF
Health declare them to be indicators.
F. E. Breithut, doctor of science, says
there are four and a half pounds OF
nitrogen in a mar of $50 pounds. The
ten millionth part which may be in
the well waters of Penns Grove does
not supply the necessary proportion to
the body.
But the water is polluted with chlor-
ide of sodium. Chlorine is a very
poisonous gas and sodium is a minera
which must be kept in kerosene be-
cause it will burn in water. Most all
Penns Grove wells, are polluted with
these poisons to the extent of from 20
to so parts in a million of water. A
few u over a hundred. These ter
rfble poisonous pollutions are chemi>
cally united and are What people know
as table salt.
Yet Boards of Health declare salt in
water to be an indicator of sewage in
the water.
In a day the average adult receives
twenty grams of salt and there is in a
mar of $50 pounds half a pound of salt,
which is a three h%undredth part. Penns
Grove waters are condemned by the
State Board of Health with 20 to 80
parts in a million, which is less than
the body consumes each day, less than
the body consists of at all times, to hin
der pollution.
Millions go to Atlantic City to get
salt water as a tonic. Penns Grove
people have salt in their water at home
and enjoy comparatively good health.
THE MICROBES HAVE YOU.
AllOIlIGI pOllulIOA ID BdCLCA4 Id NOAls
Bacteria are minute vegetable organ
isms which perform great functions in
the world. They are found in earth,
air and water. The coli bacteria is
so called because they are found in the
colon or lower intestines of man, ami
and birds and perform a function
of digestion.
DR.. Harrington says bacteria coli is
exceedingly common in drinking water,
and a noted German chemist asserts
that it is so ubiquitous that it cannot
be regarded as characteristic of sew
age. The number rather than their
presence should be used as a criterion.
Bacteria coli are not dangerous, be-
cause all animals have them. Samuel
Sadtler, S. B., in his Chemistry of
Familiar Things" published by ]. B.
Philadelphia, says: very
many of any kind of bacteria, say over
200 to 500 to a cubic centimeter (2.54
inches) throws suspicion on the water.
If q natural water contains from 1000
to. 10000 bacteria per cubic centimeter,
it might be said that a filter would be
satisfactory, if it reduced the number
to % to 80 per &C"
Several OF the wells condemned con
tanned less than 80. At one home where
the salt is "a and bacteria 100, the fam
lily has lived there thirty years, the
mother is Sc years old, and there has
not been a fever nor sickness in the
Wells are condemned on the principle
that where nitrates, salt and bacteria
coli are the typhoid fever bacteria may
go, may be. The fact that there is now
no typhoid fever in lPenns Grove and
has been only four cases during
past ten months is a mystery to
health experts. The only two serious
cases have not been traced to well wa
Ter in Penns Grove. Two were new
oomers along the shore and the other
two were mild cases. There were
only three mild cases in 1914 and none
1913.
The fact that typhoid bacteria may
get in these 81 wells examined and
the fact that they have not been found
here is evidence that they are not in
Penns Grove to get in the wells.
With only six cases of chicken pox,
hree of d~iphtheria, four of measles and
tuberculosis in Penns Grove, with
| population of 4416 is a health record
hat few cities can show for ten months
Of 1915.