Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1922-04-28
TYPHOID FEVER AND THE FARM
WELL
~ DR.. J. p. Greaves, Bacterologist
Utah Agricultural College

Utah Agricultural College
The farm well Is often the most
dangerous part OF the farm. Instead
OF giving pure life saving water. II of.
ten furnishes infected. death spreading
6uld. There Is no way for the eye
to detect between the pure and the
impure water. But It is true that In
the average farm we'll, unprotected
from infection as It is, there are pres.
snt 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 II 10 not necessary for the farm
to have any infected source or water
supply. Proper care to guard the well
against contamination will keep the
supply pure. Why Is II that in %
many rural districts various intesti-
nal diseases are more prevalent than
they are In large cities, when the 70.
verse should be true? We find at
least 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 In usually obtained from wells
and these In many places are shallow
and. what is worse than that. not pro.
tecled from the filth which may DO
carried In from the top. Eminent au.
thorlties 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 aud the death
rate from gastrO-intestinal disturb
ances. This is due not only to the
removal of disease-produclng 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 planlls 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
ton on their feet may get into the wa.
ter and pollution may easily take
place. One need not go far into the
country to And places where the out.
houses are freely open Mt the back,
20 that fowls e1rn walk under and from
there unto the planks covering the
well. An the filth left by them on
the cover Of the we'll Is later washed
into the well. This could do little
harm II the disease germs were not
present. but one never knows when
they may be present. II is not enough
b. know that no case OF typhoid has
Ocoh upuu luo IDTtsnlbes, Tor u II OItOu
ths case that apparently healthy In.
i divlduals are carrying within OF
excreting from their bodies tina d.
sease germs.
, For these reasons the old panks
, which cover so many wells should be
replaced by tight fitting cement
PLATFORM cnyerlng not only the sur
, face Of, but several feet surrounding
q the vel and passing into the ground
three or four feet so that all the wa
ter which finds its way into the well
must pass through several fest Of firm
soil. Under these condtt ms, tie well
| ( fairly deep can lie depended upon
for water. Where water Is known r.
/ he. or strongly suspected of being, con
i tamlnated, the only remedy Is to boil
4 the water ber]re use. The many I'll
4 ters which are be'ng offered to the
E public cannot be depended upon un
less they are 50 constructed that they
Z Gan he taken apnIt every day and
D thoroughly cleaned by heating 10 q
/! -ed heat