Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-05-20
TYPHOID FEVER AND THE FARM
WELL

Utah Agricultural College
Tho farm we'll is often the most
dangerous part Of the farm. Instead
of giving pure life saving water. 1t of.
ten furnishes infected, death spreading
fuid. There Is no way for the eye
to detect between the pure and the
impure water But 1t Ia true that Id
the average farm we'll. unprotected
from infection as 1t is, there are pres.
ent numerous kinds of disease causing
organisms.
Not only the dreaded typhoid. but
many intestinal diseases ON the farm
may be traced to impure well water.
Yet 1t is not necessary for the farm
to have any infected source OF water
supply. Proper care to guard the well
against contamination will keep the
supply pure. Why is 1t that in 30
many rural districts various intesti.
nal diseases are more prevalent than
they are in large cities, when the re.
verse should be true? We find at
least a partial answer to this question
In the difference In water supplies Of
the two districts. In the cities the
water supplies are usually carefully
guarded against contamination, while
in the country districts the supply Of
water Is usually obtained from wells
and these in many places are shallow
and, what Ia worse than that, not pro-
tected from the filth which may DO
carried In from the top. Eminent au-
thorities on this subject have found
that where one death from typhoid
could be prevented by improving the
water supply, two or three deaths from
other causes could be prevented by the
improvement. An improved water
supply not only reduces the number
of deaths from typhoid fever, but de-
creases infant mortality and the death
rate from gastro-intestinal disturb
ances. This Is due not only to the
removal Of dlsease-producing organ
isms from the water, but there are
many other substances and organisms
In impure water which greatly reduce
the bodily vigor Of the individual us
ing 1t. And anything or condition
which In any way reduces the bodily
vitality makes the individual an easy
mark for disease.
Many wells are only loosely covered
with planks between which grasshop-
pers, toads or leaves make their way.
1t is easy to see how the filth from
the boots Of working men, or from
children playing on the planks or from
poultry walking about carrying infec
tlon on their feet may get into the wa.
ter and pollution may easily take
place. One need not go far into ths
country to find places where the out
houses are freely open at the back,
80 that fowls can walk under and from
there onto the planks covering the
well. All the filth left by them on
the cover of the well Is later washed
into the well. This could do little
harm If the disease germs were not
present. But one never knows when
they may be present. 1t Is not enough
DO know that no case of typhoid has
been upon the premises, for 1t is often
the case that apparently healthy In.
diylduals are carrying within or
excreting from their bodies the d.
sease germs.
For these reasons the old pianks
which cover so many wells should be
replaced by a tight fitting cement
platform, covering not only the sur
face Of. bat several feet surrounding
the well and passing into the ground
three or four feet so that all the wa
ter which finds Its way into the we'll
must pass through several feet Of firm
soil. Under these conditions, the well
IL fairly deep can be depended upon
for water. Where water Is known 10
be, or strongly suspected Of being, con,
taminated, the only remedy Is to boil
the water before use. The many I'll
tsrs which are being offered to the
public cannot be depended upon un
less they are so constructed that they
can be taken apart every day and
thoroughly cleared By heating 10 q