The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-08-05
IMPURE WATER
CAUSE OF HAIR
VEST MALADIES
Chloride of Lime a Preventive
Remedy, Says Sanitation
Expert
(By H. E. Phelps, Washington
State Collepe.)


During the summer months larg,
numbers of men, women and chill
dren are engaged in harvesting
threshing and picking fruit, Otter
being compelled to live in tents
bunk houses and other temporary
and portable homes placed near theil
work and frequently moved from
place to place. Under these cir
cumstances the sanitary conditions
surrounding them are frequently
far from good, and many. cases Of
typhoid fever and other intestine
troubles are the direct result OF
such insanitary conditions. 1t is
well established that most cases Of
typhoid fever and the less serious
but unpleasant summer intestine
troubles are caused by drinking i'm.
pure water.
1t has frequently seemed diff.
cult or impossible to provide har-
vest workers with sufficient supply
of pure drinking water, on &C.
count of the temporary and scat
tered nature of their work and the
expense that has seemed to be in
volved. A certain amount of ty-
phoid and intestinal disease has
therefore often been looked upon as
an inevitable accompaniment Of
such kinds of work. This has often
been true of those who realized that
such diseases were transmitted by
impure water, and generally by
those who were ignorant of this
fact.
1t is, however, possible to pro-
vide supply of pure water for
harvest workers, and to greatly re-
duce the amount of disease to
which they are subject. The de-
struction of all dangerous bacteria
which may be in the water can be
easily and efficiently accomplished
by the use of chloride of lime
Chloride of lime, or bleaching pow
der, can be obtained at almost any
grocery store, and the amount re-
quired is SO small as to make the
cost negligible. 1t should be used
in the following manner:
One tablespoonful of the Chloride
of Lime is dissolved in ten quarts
of water. This quantity is suffi-
cient to treat 1000 gallons of wa
Ter, and the operation is carried out
by simply pouring the clear solu,
ton into the water to be treated
and stirring thoroughly. This So
luton is a powerful germicide and
it's action is very rapid-ten min.
utes or so being all the time re-
quired to carry out the publication
One quart of this solution is suf.
ficient to treat effectively tank
containing 100 gallons of water
and one pint of it stirred into g
5O-gallon barrel full of water will
destroy any dangerous germ ant
make the water safe for drinking
purposes.
One is cautioned against using
too much of the chemical, not be
cause it is dangerous at all, bu
because an undesirable odor OF
taste may be impaired to the water
where too large amounts are used
The strength of solution indicated
above, used in the manner describ.
ed, will be found perfectly salts
factory. The quantities of the wa
ter will in no wise be impaired anG
no undesirable conditions will arise
from it's use. On the other hand
dangerous water may be made safe
and much sickness prevented.
The solution loses it's strength il
left standing open for any time
but may be kent for several days
if kept in a tightly stoppered bot
tie. If so kept, it becomes a very
handy germicide to use during the
harvesting and threshing season
The water used about the cookhouse
and for drinking purposes in the
field and about the threshing ma
chine can be made safe and the
amount of typhoid fever and other
intestinal trouble made much less