

BACTERIOLOGY OF WATER AND SEWAGE 443 



SEWAGE DISPOSAL 



In addition to the diseases already enumerated as trans- 

 mitted through water contaminated by sewage, there are 

 some other diseases transmitted quite directly from human 

 excretions. The most important of these in the United 

 States is the hookworm disease or uncinariasis. The hook- 

 worm lives during the latter part of its life history in the 

 intestines of man. The eggs are passed out with the feces, 

 hatched and gain access to the human body again only 

 through the skin, usually the skin of the bare foot. It is 

 evident, therefore, that proper disposal of the body excreta 

 will stamp out this disease completely. The disease is 

 primarily a rural disease in the south and has drawn atten- 

 tion to the necessity of better methods of disposing of the 

 body excreta than are frequently used. 



The rural and city problems of disposal of sewage are 

 somewhat different. The presence of large numbers of 

 people in a community necessitates the disposal of the 

 sewage in order to prevent the creation of nuisances and to, 

 safeguard health. In practically all cases in America this 

 is effected by the use of water. The farm and rural problem 

 is complicated by the fact that expert advice as to disposal 

 of sewage is usually not available. Fundamentally the 

 reasons for proper sewage disposal are quite as potent in 

 rural districts as in the city. Human excretions must be 

 disposed of in such a manner that they will not come in 

 contact with human beings or find their way into water or 

 food. 



The Rural Problem. The necessity of disposing prop- 

 erly of human excretions of the farm can hardly be stressed 

 too strongly. They must be so disposed of that they will not 

 be a nuisance because of their odor ; they must be so placed 

 that they cannot come in contact, directly or indirectly with 



