WATER 191 



fit from boiling drinking water is that some of the sub- 

 stances in solution are deposited, both the clearness of 

 the water and its dissolving power being improved. 

 Filters are also often used to purify drinking water. 

 When we consider that thousands of deaths from 

 typhoid fever occur yearly, the necessity of being 

 careful about our drinking water can be easily appre- 

 ciated. The whole world marveled at the compara- 

 tively small number of deaths from disease in the 

 Japanese army during the Russian-Japanese war. 

 When a new camp was pitched, the drinking water 

 was examined, and if disease germs were found, it 

 was purified before being used for drinking. This pre- 

 caution prevented much sickness. 



Drinking water should not be cooled by putting in 

 ice that has been cut from sewage-laden streams, as 

 freezing does not necessarily kill typhoid fever germs. 

 When the purity of the ice is in doubt, placing a bottle 

 of water on the ice is a safer way of cooling than putting 

 ice in the water. Water that has remained in water 

 pipes all night should not be drunk, as it may have 

 dissolved lead, which is poisonous. By allowing it 

 to run a few moments before the teakettle or pitcher 

 is filled, danger from this source is avoided. Water 

 very readily takes up gases or bacteria that may be in 

 the air, and for this reason should not be left long 

 uncovered when it is used for drinking. Such care 

 is especially necessary in the sick room. 



Why is it better to force drinking water from a well 



