188? 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



Wi 



which water will flow into a well depends on the 

 soil. [This, Prof. Kedzie represented on a chart 

 by an inverted cone, with its base at the surface of 

 the soil, and its apex touching the surface of the 

 water in the well.] The diameter of the circle of 

 surface varies with the porosity of the soil. If a 

 tenaciou.s clay, the diameter of the surface of this 

 cone of flitiation may be only 30 to 40 feet; while in 

 sand or gravel it may be tiO to 200 feet. Any soluble 

 material within this cone of filtration will How into 

 the well, caleulatiMg- the soil to be uniform in tex- 

 ture. But if there are strataof uneiji'i' permeabil- 

 ity, or if there are cracks, seams, or water-paths in 

 impervious clays, the water will follow these seems 

 almost an indefinite distance, and there will be a 

 wide departure from the limits given. Materials 

 without the cone may come through these seams. 



This is an appalling- picture, but there are certain 

 conservative agencies to tone down the startling 

 outlines. The soil is not a passive agent, but may 

 act on such substances in solution in water in three 

 ways. 



First. As a simple mechanical filter to separate 

 substances held in suspension. The texture of the 

 soil is the chief factor in this action. [This he illus- 

 trated by the filtration of a blue precipitate thrown 

 down in well-water by the action of ferrocyanide of 

 potassium. The colored material was left on the 

 soil in the tunnel, while the water was clear, prov- 

 ing the soil a very perfect filter.]' 



Second. Soil may act as a mordant to fix and re- 

 move coloring' materials from solution in water. In 

 18I56, Rronner, of Baden, noticed that color, odor, 

 and nearly all taste, are remoA-ed from filthy water 

 by filtration. All have noticed that subterranean 

 waters are usually colored. 



Third. Soils may produce chemical decomposi- 

 tions, making- changes that will not take place in 

 simple solutions. A similar experiment reveals the 

 brown deposit of chloride of ammonium cast by a 

 re-agent in well-water, but a mere discoloration on 

 filtered water, showing the soil had taken out almost 

 every trace of ammonium. This is a fact of high- 

 est importance to the sanitarian. This power, how- 

 ever, is limited. By using the soil made foul by the 

 last experiment, a considerable deposit is found 

 after filtration, showing- the power of the soil to 

 withdraw these materials and fix them in soluble 

 and safe forms is limited. 



Soil is a sanitary filter. It removes color, odor, 

 and substances, but this power is limited. The 

 greater the amount of soil for filtering-, the longer is 

 the time before this exhaustion of power takes 

 place. The amount of soil has an intimate relation 

 to its power of purifying-. Hence the value of deep 

 wells, provided the water filters through the entire 

 amount of soil. The sides of the well should be 

 made impervious, and then the water must filter 

 down. Supposing- the sides are of iron, there is 

 some assurance of safety. This is true of " drive- 

 wells." The water can not come through the sides; 

 also worms and reptiles can not get into it. A 

 drive-well is a very safe form of well. 



But there is danger that the limit of power be ex- 

 hausted by increase of contamination. Think of a 

 privy-vault or cesspool within this cone of filtra- 

 tion. If this appears revolting, blame the facts. 



" See if all is well with your well." Neglect which 

 borders on crime could hardly go further. I here 

 quote from Buck's Hygiene as follows: 



Dr. Simon has described this coinnion and deplorablo negrlect 

 in the followintr terse sentences: '• There are houses, there are 

 groups of houses, tlure an- whole villages, there are consider- 

 able sections of towns, there are entire and not small towns, 

 where prevails slovenliness in every thing which relates to the 

 removal of refuse matter - slovenliness which, in Very many 

 cases, amounts lo nttci- liestialily of iHt:lcct in the local habit; 

 where within or just outsiilc of each liousc. or in sp^u-cs com- 

 mon to many houses, lies for an Indelinite time, undergoing fe- 

 tid deeomijosition, more or less of the putieflalile refuse which 

 house-lite and some sorts of trade-life produce; excrement of 

 man and brute, garbage of all sorts, and ponded slop-waters; 

 sometimes lying bare on the common snifacc. sometimes unin- 

 tentionally .stoied out of sight; re-colli'ctioii in drains or sew- 

 ers whichcan not carry them away; -"irHnini- lielil in recep- 

 tacles si)cc!ally provided to favor acciimulai I'm. as privy-pits 

 or other cesspools for excrement and slop-water, and so-called 

 dust-bins, receiving kitchen-refuse and other tilth. And with 

 this state of things, be it on a large or small scale, two chief 

 sources of danger to life arise: One, volatile etfluvia from the 

 refuse pollutes the surrounding air and every thing which it 

 contains; the other is. that the liijuid )i:irts of the refuse pass, 

 bv soakage or leak:ige, into thi- surrounding' soil, to mingle 

 there, of course, in whatever water the soil yields, and in cer- 

 tain cases thus to occasion the deadliest pollution of wells and 

 springs. To a really immense extent, to an extent which, in- 

 deed, persons unpracticed in sanitary inspection could seai-ce 

 ly find themselves able to imagine, dangers of these two sorts 

 are now prevailing throughout this country, not only in their 

 slighter degrees, but in degrees which are gross and scandal- 



ous, ahd very often, I re 

 in unc(|iiivociil linigiiatri 

 rv oig:iin/,;iUon of tlic c 

 niinistr:itors lo<-:il and 

 inglhc real sl:ili' ol the 

 in many ins(;i nccs, Hk 



.c-.t.(nily bestial. ,\n(l I state all this 

 because I I'cel that, if the new sanita- 

 )uritry is to hillill its jjurpose. the ad- 

 ciitr:il, nnist begin by fully recogniz- 

 •:.sc. and with tlie consciou>ness thai. 

 II have to inl i-oducc foT- llii> lirst 



timc,:is nitosav!it;-e lile.lhe rudiments of sanitary civil iz:ition. 

 The e.vteiil lo wliicli soil I., polluted hv e.vircta and othci- ref- 

 )ise nuitler, in the r\ir;il :in(l small Urban districts in Kngland, 

 and the (bingcr of llie cnni aminatioii of drinking-walcr from 

 this source. ui:iv he leai iieil Horn the reporl of the Hivcis-Pol- 

 luting Coiuun-sii.oers In w liieli th.-v s:iv. tli:it, e>tim;iliiig th« 

 town |ioiuil,ii lou .,! Ci e;,i 1 1 n I ;u 1 1 :i 1 ;i I M lul liilccM millions, the 

 remaining i«,Ue miiIIimh- ,,| eoimtrv i"ipul;iti(ui dci-ivc their 

 water alirce-t , x.lii-neiN I i ,,u. >|]:. IIoh ueils. ;iu(I Ihesc a re. so 

 far as the coriniiissioiiei s kuow.almosi r,lu:,>s lioriihly pollut- 

 ed by sewage :uul by aninuil ni:itters ol llu- uio^t disgusting 

 origin. The common pr;ictice in vilLiKcs. :iihI even in small 

 touns. is to dispose of the sewage :ui(l lo pioMde f,,itlie water- 

 suiiplv of c:ii-li ci>lt:ige, or p:iir ol Coll :] g( s upon I lie iPi-cinisesi 

 In the liltic v:u-d or g;irdeii all;iclicd tn e:nh tencuient , (U- pair 

 of ti'iicMienls, two holes :irc dut; in the p. ,i ..u> ,-. .d . Inloont; 

 of these, usual Iv the shall..weidf the two.:, 1 1 the lillby liquids 

 ol the house :lie discll:l HJ . d. Ki.Mri I lie other, which is sunk 

 below the w:iler-liiie ol the |i.,j..u^ -I latum, the w:dei- used for 

 drinking and i>tlier iloiiie,-li.' pmiio^e^ is piimia-d. The.-e two 

 holes :iii' not iiiifiecpieiit h w ii li in tvveUe leet of each othet-. 

 and sdMictiiiie^ e\eii el.is,!'. The .•.uiieiils ,,f the li Itli- hole or 

 cesspool soak :i»;i\ thinly;!, the sun . .niidi iig soi 1 . and mingle 

 with lheu:iter Ih h,w. A- the cjiteiii^ ..I the v.:ilir li(de, ol- 

 well,:iic pniiiiie<l f .iit tlie.\ :it e iniiiiedKitily icpleiiished from 

 the suir(juiidiiig clisKUstiiig nn.xlure. :Lnd it is. therefore, not 

 very surijrising lo be assured tloit such :i well dees not become 

 dry, evi-n in siininicr. rnfortuiuitelv e.\( r<'nicntitious liquids, 

 especially after they lni\-e soaked thiouuli a lew leet of porous 

 soil, do not imii:iii' the i>al;itability cd the water; :ind this pol- 

 luted liquid is coiisuiiied from year to ye:ir without a suspicion 



of its character, until the i-e-sj I ;ihd well receive infected 



sewage, and then an onlbi e;ik of e|iideinic disease compels at- 

 tention to the polluied \\:ilei. Indeed, our acquaintance with 

 a very large prop<ii tioii id this class of potable waters has 

 been made in conseqiunce of the occuri-ence of severe out- 

 breaks of typhoid fever among the jiersons using them. 



Prof. Kedzie added: 



" I do not know that any condition at all corres- 

 ponding to this can be found in Battle Creek, but I 

 have had the misfortune to find analogous condi- 

 tions and similar results elsewhere in this State." 



Prof. Kedzie gave several instances which had 

 come under his observation. One family was always 

 sick. There was no constitutional reason, and they 

 were people of good habits. He suspected the well. 

 The husband smelled the clean water, and said, 

 " Doctor, you must be mistaken." He went linger- 

 inglj' down to the grave; a nephew followed, and a 

 son. The widow became bed-ridden. The premises 

 were sold to a good family, and they became sick. 

 He insisted on a new well, and they regained their 

 health. 



In Lansing, a man's only daughter was sick. He 

 did not believe it was the well, but a conduit was 

 found fron the privy to the well, and the water was 

 exceedingly foul. Many were sick. Standing by 

 the well, with a dipper he could throw water on five 

 privies. One of the best men in Lansing sickened 

 and died. The well was pronounced bad. The 

 family took it personally, but a sewer was found 

 broken within three feet of the well. Water from 

 town pumps had been found to be very bad in some 

 places. If this is the condition of the town-pump, 

 what is the condition of the town-hearse':* 



There are many widows because disease and 

 death have been carried into the house by the wa- 

 ter-pail. The question arises. Must careless sur- 

 roundings bring- this? Such is the law of sowing- 

 and reaping. "The law of the harvest is to reap more 

 than you sow. Sow an act, and you reap a habit; 

 sow your habit, and you reap your character; sow a 

 character, and you reap a destiny." Nature is in- 

 exorable, and knows no mercy. Her laws are 

 written on two tables of stone. The first is, " Do 

 this and thou Shalt surely live;" the second, " Thou 

 Shalt not do that, lest thou die." 



Nature has placed animal and vegetable life in 

 reciprocal relations to each other, in opposite scale- 

 pans, in the balance of life. Plants thrive on the 

 remains of animal life, and destroy the bad. From 

 the poisonous carbonic acid they give back the life- 

 sustaining oxj-gen, and take the deadly carbon. 

 The poisonous remains of animals are the appropri- 

 ate and grateful food of plants. When man puts 

 asunder what nature has put together, disease 

 comes in as a protest against the disturbance of 

 nature's harmonies. From the organic nitrogen 

 and phosphorous thrown out as deadly \vaste fi-om 

 animal systems, the jilant forms the gluten and al- 

 bumen of muscle and brain. Animnls and vegeta- 

 bles are dual and reciprocal forms of life. Each 

 feeds and protects the other. Only when put asun- 

 der do cholera, typhoid, and diphtheria, step in as 

 avenging ministers of violated law. 



Crowded cities disturli the reciprocal relations of 



