192 The Story of the Bacteria 



be causing and fostering disease. This purifi- 

 cation of water by boiling may be done by the 

 householder himself, or, if he can afford it, 

 he may supply himself with the distilled and 

 aerated water which is now furnished in many 

 towns. 



But, after all, when the facts about the dan- 

 gers of a polluted water supply become gener- 

 ally known, it ought not to be necessary for 

 the householder to adopt any domestic pre- 

 cautions against water infection in towns or 

 cities. If politics, or private or corporate 

 greed, or general ignorance or apathy stand 

 in the way of sanitary reform, the outlook for 

 the water consumer is indeed not encouraging. 

 But even these obstacles in the way of com- 

 fortable existence have been and may again 

 be set aside. 



There are other ways, safer and more 

 economical in the long run, of disposing of 

 sewage than by running it into the reservoirs 

 and water courses which are the inheritance 

 of all the people. The common law, decency, 

 and prudence all forbid it. Sooner or later, 

 and the sooner the better, the protection of our 



