458 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE Vol. XXV, 1918 



proL/ably best be removed by dilution on continued pumping of 

 the well. The intentional or accidental defilement by body wastes 

 and decomposing crganic matter is serious on account of the 

 possibilities of infection of the water by the specific organisms 

 of such diseases as cholera, the typhoid fevers and the dysen- 

 teries. Advancing troops are likely to be visited ^nth such of 

 these diseases as nave affected the retiring enemy. After the 

 battle of the Marne, for example, the French suffered from 

 paratyphoid fever believed to have been disseminated by car- 

 riers of the disease among the German troops. 



It should not be concluded that these water-borne diseases 

 have troubled only the recent armies, for the effectiveness of the 

 older ones has suffered, too. Sanitary arrangements during 

 wai-s have probably always been very poor and for this reason 

 the disease-caused mortality has usually been much greater than 

 that due to battle. The intestinal diseases have ranked high 

 among army diseases. I do not mean to convey the idea that 

 the cases of intestinal diseases are all water-borne because con- 

 tact, flies, food and the general unclean surroundings also are 

 contributory. However, the diseases are so serious in their re- 

 sults and so fatal to the effectiveness of an army that all avail- 

 able-preventive measures should be employed. 



In the present war the disease ratio is said to have been much 

 reduced. It certainly should be, in the light of increased sani- 

 tary knowledge and the prophylactic or preventive measures ap- 

 plied. Among these preventive measures the inspection of drink- 

 ing waters and their purification have high rank. 



In order to know whether a water Ls poisoned or not, or 

 whether or not it has been contaminated, inspections, smitary 

 surveys and analyses are made. Inspections of well casings may 

 be made by lowering lights or by throwing a beam of light from 

 a hand mirror into the well. Such inspections can detect the 

 points where surface water i« entering and may reveal the pres- 

 ence of bodies or other foreign objects if the well is pumped 

 out. These objects may be removed by grappling or by dcs 'end- 

 ing into the well. The point of entrance of the surface drain- 

 age may be repaired to exclude the ccmtaminated water. Before 

 beginning the descent into any well, a candle should be lowered 

 to see whether or not there is enough carbon dioxide in the well 

 to cause suffocation. Wells which have been defiled are cleaned, 

 pumped out repeatedly and treated witli a heavy dose of chlo- 



