47 



The Protection op Our Rivers from Pollution. 



By Jay Craven. 



It has only been in the last few years that the two closely connected 

 problems — pure water siipplie.s and sewage disposal — have been gaining 

 rapidly, increasing attention from sanitarians and others interested in the 

 welfare of the public. Formerly but little attention was paid to the sani- 

 tary condition of our ri\-ers. They were taken to be the natural and 

 intended channels for the disposition of sewage and manufacturing wastes. 

 ISefore nur poimlation was so concentrated, sewage disposal by dilution 

 was satisfnctory from a i)hysical standpoint, but now the condition of 

 many of our streams has become such that for a part of the year at least 

 the (idors from them are quite olmoxious and a nuisance to the cities and 

 t(i the iKiiiulation li-ving along the banks, as well as a menace to their 

 health. Even though the large rivers may not be offensive, yet where 

 these rivers have to be used for water suiiplies, diseases tliat may be cnr- 

 lied by water constitute an always present menace to the health of our 

 l)eo]ile. 



Like many other problems, the public is not aroused until tlieir atten- 

 tion has been attracted by severe measures. Epidemics, more terril>le 

 because they were due to a preventable disease, have occurred in the last 

 few years, carrying with them a needless sacrifice of money, and more 

 important, of human life. Just to cite one case, let me give a few figures 

 from the typhoid epidemic at Erie, I'a., the population of which was 

 08.000. From December 1, 1910, to May 10, 1911, 1,012 cases and 125 deaths 

 were reported to the health department. For comparative purposes a 

 value of .f.l.OOO has fre<iuently been jilaced on a man's value to the com- 

 munity. The loss to Erie at this figure was .$025,000, not including the 

 expenses, such as loss of time, doctor bills, medicine, etc., of the remainder 

 of the 1,012 who recovered. 



IUfferent States have taken up the problem and considerable work h:is 

 been done in Massachusetts, New York. New Jersey, Pennsylvania and 

 Ohio. In our State a bill was passed in 1909 providing for the protection 

 of the streams frmn pollution. Since that time, extensive surveys hive 



