The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1918-11-28
MUST KEEP WELL
DOCTORS TO ARMY
Watch Water supply and Dispose o.
Waste Properly, Says Arkansas
University Specialist.

doctors for the army
One Of the greatest factors in
maintaining the health of the famlly
IN the country is a pure and whole
some water supply and the proper dis
posal Of ell waste materials. aeeor,,-
ing to the specialists with the Extan-
sion Division Of the University Of Ar.
Kansas. II is true that A great per-
centase Of the disease among Arkan-
sans comes from impure water. and
not only the health of human beings.
but the health of farm animals, az
we'll is to large extent dependable
upon good water supply
The principal thing to be guarded
against is the pollution of drinking
water with sewage or intestinal cor.
tents of either Aan or animal I'll
diseases OF man most commonly car
ried In water are typhoid fever aad
dyxeatery. The NEST common ant
nal disease carried in water are hog
cholera, distsanper, glsnders and an
thrsx IN ssarst>s against such 20
tuition especial care Should be taken
IN selecting a location foi the wsll.
II should never be located near the
barns or other snkuildihFs and not
too near the ksss< unSess Il 10 well
protected against snrfsse drainage.
or all wells to BE- feared, the dag
well is probasly the nsst dangerous.
It Is usually walled ~ with loose
stones leaving numerous crseks snd
oreyicsx In those openings many
small animals such AZ frsgs. lixsrds,
snakes and azise make their home.
These animals frequently die, drop
into the water and decay, thus MAX
ing the water unsafe for use. rug
wells ARE usually on d level with the
surrounding area and during heavy
rains are apt TO receive the drainage
and wash from the barnyards and
pens and other outhopses, The cover
on the dug well usually does not flt
tightly, THUS leaving cracks and Nth
| falls into the water. Dug wells
should always be walled up carefully
and cemented, and the platform
should be al least eighteen inches
above the ground cemented on the
outside and inside The top should
be covered with concrete slab with
holes Just big enough to admit the
necessary pees in order to prevent
dirt from faaiins into the we'll
All shailew wells are dangerous
because the surface drainage seeps
through the soil Immediately into the
water. The distance of the passage
through The sell is not usually gres,
enough TO purify it.
The open well, either dug or drill
ed, where the water Is drawn with !
bucket is also dangerous. because
each time the bucket is drawn TO tn,
top, germs fron the hands are depos
tied upon 1t and when the bucket IL
returned to the wen there are washed
on and into the wafer. Ply repeatin,
this process several times a day i
can be easily seen how wells can b.
polluted. This Is especially tru,
where there happens to be member
OF the family who is carrier o. "
raioid or other diseases, and this Ia
especially true at school houses. Thi.
explains how one sick pupil can con
tamlnate the school well and through
1 this source spread a disease through
out the entire community and faini-
Hes fcr miles apart may be afflicted
with the same disease
i Water from springs is mot always
safe, because II may travel long dis
tances under the grourd but following
ereyioes IN rocks or holes burrowed
BY animals and thus fail 10 De puff-
aed. Springs too frequently are pol
iuted by surface washing during
rains. This may explain why springs
may suddenly become contaminated
and cause typhoid in a family where
It has been unknown before.
Water from streams and ponds are
always dangerous. due TO the surface
drainage which II receives.
In summing up the different sources
of water supply we find that the deep
drilled we'll is, in nearly all cases. s,l.
perior to all others. 1t Is cased with
a solid casing 40 that nothing can
drop into the water from Irregular
walls. The top Is small and can he
closed tightly enough that II will pre.
vent any material from entering FROM
this point. The water comes from
deep in the sell and hs. passed long
distances through the soil so that Il
has had every opportunity 10 purify
Water suspected of pollution should
be thoroughly boiled and cooled be.
fore being used for drinking pur>
poses.
Do not let waste material lay
around and breed diseases Such ma
terial from the Kitchen chat is not rt
for hogs and chicken feed should be |
buried or burned. All dead chickens.
pigs, sheep, horses and cattle. espe-
cially when they have died from = |
contagious disease. should be dispos-
ed OF properly. Otherwise the disease
may be spread to other animals ana
In some cases evwn 10 man
Animals that DO not die from con.
tsgious diseases. however, when left
exposed VIII certainly present an I'M
sanitary condition. In disposins Of
lead animals. burning and sursins
are the best methods.
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