CHAPTER XXIX. 

 WATER AND DISEASE. 



HISTORY is replete with facts indicating that early in the history 

 of the race there was a general conception that water might cause 

 disease. Early tribes sought out those streams and springs which 

 yielded a generous supply of cool, clear water. They followed 

 them on their course to the sea and learned that some furnished 

 water which promoted health, whereas the user of other waters 

 suffered certain plagues. Centers of population sprang up in 

 ancient times around those points where water was readily avail- 

 able and great expenditures of labor and treasure were made to 

 protect and carry it to places where it was needed. About 400 

 B.C. Hippocrates pointed out the danger from polluted water and 

 advised the filtering and boiling of such water. But apparently 

 during the following centuries no relationship was observed between 

 the character of the drinking water and the epidemics of typhoid, 

 cholera and other intestinal diseases which swept over Europe. 

 During the Dark Ages the belief that water caused diseases of the 

 human race became very popular. But the attributing factor was 

 thought to be witches who by some occult magic poisoned pure 

 wells, springs and streams. 



The statements in the literature during the beginning of the 

 nineteenth century became more definite, showing that the rela- 

 tionship between the character of the drinking water and the 

 prevalence of intestinal diseases was being recognized. By the 

 middle of the century Michel had collected such a mass of statis- 

 tics as to warrant the conclusion that there is a direct relationship 

 between the purity of a drinking water and typhoid fever. 



Disease First Definitely Proved as Due to Water. The first clear- 

 cut demonstration that disease is caused by infected water was 

 that of the now famous Broad Street well (1854) so ably studied 

 by Snow. During this outbreak of cholera in London there was 

 an enormous concentration of cases in a very limited area just 

 east of Regent Street. There were during a period of about six 

 weeks over 600 fatal cases. A careful study of the site, soil, sub- 

 soil, streets, density and character of population, dwellings, yards, 

 closets, cesspools, vaults, drains, conditions of cleanliness and 

 atmospheric conditions revealed nothing of importance. A study 

 of the water supply revealed the following facts; 



