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mon salt,) chloride of potassiiira and magnesium, found in the former, 

 clearly indicates it« siiiface origin. The two last salts are cathartic in 

 their properties, and the habitual use of water, holding them in solution 

 in any considerable quantities, must prove injurious to health. 



In atldition to the above impurities, the wells of Detroit, being dug 

 in a clay soil, and usually in back yards, would be liable to contain or- 

 ganic matter in process of decomposition. This would be particularly 

 the case during the warm season, when sickness is most likely to pre- 

 vail. The use of water containing this organic matter would predispose 

 to disea-*e, an I materially aid in the spread of epidemics. No doubt a 

 careful examination would show that, during the prevalence of the chol- 

 era, that disease was more fatal, and prevailed to a greater extent among 

 those using the water of the wells, than among those in the habitual 

 use of river water. My limited acquaintance with the distribution of 

 water in your city, and with the localities where the disease was most 

 prevalent, does not enable me to furnish examples in confirmation of 

 thi.s position. From Dr. Terry, I obtain the following case in point: 



** During the prevalence of cholera in Detroit, in the summer of 1850, 

 I was called to see the wife of Mr. T. F., whom I found in a state of 

 collapse, from which she did not rally, but died in about twelve hours. 

 My attention had been previously called to the effect of well water in 

 developing cholera; but, in this case, there had been such other appa- 

 rently exciting causes, that I did not even inquire in regard to the wa- 

 ter used by the family. The next day I was called to see the two sons 

 of Mr. F., and found them under the care of two physicians. One was 

 severely sick, and the other in a hopeless state of collapse, from cholera. 

 They had been under treatment some hours when I arrived. The first 

 one recovered, and the second died in a few hours, 



" I then, for the first time, learned that two persons in the adjoining 

 house had died of the same disease within two days, and my attention 

 was at once directed to the water used by these families, which proved 

 to be water from a well, common to both. Mr. F.'s family consisted of 

 himself, his wife, two boys, and a daughter, the children all under sev- 

 enteen years of age, the daughter the younger. Mr. F.'s employment 

 was at a place where' he had access to, and used the water of the river. 

 All the rest used the well water. To recapitulate,-Mrs. F. and the elder 

 boj died ; the younger just escaped, and the girl had severe diarrhoea, 



