1863. 



KEW EXGLAXD FAKMER. 



prevent contact of the water with these metals. , 

 Abandant evidence was however afforded that, 

 through some avenue, organic matters in onusual 

 Quantities were finding access to the water. Care- 

 mi examination of the premises disclosed the fact 

 that an outhouse on the grounds of a neighbor 

 was so situated as to act as a receptacle for house 

 drainings, and from thence bv subterranean pas- 

 sages the liquids flowed into the well. Some 

 cases of illness, of long standing in the family, dis- 

 appeared upon abandoning the use of the water. 



A few months since a specimen of water was 

 brought to me for chemical examination, by a gen- 

 tleman of Charlestown, who stated that bis wife 

 was afiicted with protracted illness of a somewhat 

 unusual character. It was found to be largely im- 

 pregnated with potash and the salts resulting from 

 the decomposition of anim:J and vegetable drbri.*. 

 and the opinion expressed that some connection 

 existed between the well and tiie waste fluids of 

 the dwelling. This seemed improbable, as all these 

 were securely carried away in a brick cemented 

 drain, and in a direction opposite the water sup- 

 ply. The use of the spade, however, revealed a 

 break in the drain at a point favorable for an in- 

 flowing into the well, and hence the source of the 

 contamination. Rapid convalescence followed on 

 the part of the sick wife upon obtaining water 

 from another source. 



Analysis was recently made of water from a well 

 in Middlesex County, which disclosed conditions 

 quite similar to these. The owner was certain thit 

 no impurity could arise from sources suggested, 

 but rigid and persistent investigation disclosed the 

 fact, that the servant girl had long been in the 

 habit of emptying the "slops" into a cavity by the 

 kitchen door (formed by the displacement of sev- 

 eral bricks in the pavement.) where they were 

 readily absorbed. Although the well was quite ' 

 remote, the intervening space was filled with 

 coarse sand and rubble stones, and hence the un- 

 clean liquids found an easy passage to the water. 

 This proved to be the cause of illness in the family. 

 It is unnecessary to present other instances of a 

 similar character on record. These serve to bring 

 to view some of the sources of impurities ia water 

 used for household purposes, and the obscure 

 cause of serious diseases. The location of wells 

 connected with dwellings is a matter which should 

 receive attention at the hands of physicians. 



It is well known that in the gradual decompo- 

 sition of animal and vegetable substances, at or 

 near the surface of the earth, under certain con- 

 ditions, nitrogenous compounds are developed. 

 The nitre earths found beneath old buildings re- 

 sult fcom these changes, although it is quite difli- 

 cult to understand the precise nature of the chem- 

 ical transformations which produce them. In the 

 waters of a large number of wells in towns and 

 cities, and also ia the country, the nitrates are 

 found at some seasons in considerable quantities. 

 The salts form at the surface in warm weather, 

 and being quite soluble, are carried with the per- 

 colating rain >vater into the well. In cities and 

 large towns, where excrementitious matters accu- 

 midate rapidly ar.->uad dwellings compacted to- 

 gether, it is uidicult to locate wells remote from 

 danger, and hep.co it might seem that suspicion 

 should be confined to these localities. This, how- 

 ever, is not a safe conclusion. How often do we 

 see, upon isolated farms in the country, the well 



located within, or upon, the Tn a r o in of ^e bare- 

 yard, near huge manure heaps, reeking with am- 

 moniacal and other gases, the prolific eoorces oi 

 soluble salts, which find access to the water »T»d 

 render it unfit as a beverage for man ot beast. It 

 may no doubt be a convenience to the farmo' to 

 have his water-supply so situated as to meet the 

 wants of the occupants of his bam and his dwell- 

 ing, but it is full of danger. 



Whilst admitting '' ' -■- - — ' - -'- " I:- 

 tion of the water of r . ;« 



with some, whether < i- 



sonous, and received er 



all. be productive of -: . , ^e 



of illness. To the great majority of people they 

 are certainly harmiess, but it must be admitted 

 tiiit there is a class, and one or more are found in 

 almost every family, whose peculiar sensitive or- 

 ganization does not admit of the presence of anv 

 extraneous agent in food or drink, cr in what they 

 inhale. The functions of life and health an> dis- 

 turbed by the sHshtest deviation from the usual 

 or normal conci-" - ■" •-■-.- -- — -. -.hem. It is 

 manifestly of :: .ia-is should 



recognize these __ . .._> .iJuais. It is 



unsafe, ia making a diagnoiis of disease, or seek- 

 ing for causes, to overlook or forget them. 



We are. indeed, incapable of understanding bow 

 this can be. It seems incredible that the thou- 

 sandth part of a grain of one of the salts of lead, 

 dissolved in water and taken daily, will disturb 

 the system of any one ; and yet such is the case. 

 We can see no reason why a very little nitrate of 

 potassa, or soda, or lime, taken in the same way, 

 should produce any entxts ; sail stranger is it that 

 the iaSaitessimal amount of dust disloged from 

 painted wail-papers, received into the lungs, should 

 make inroads upon health. 



Several instances of this latter result have re- 

 cently come to my knowledge. In two families 

 of thie highest respectability in this city, illness of 

 an unusual and protr .cted character existed, and 

 at the suggestion of : la. portions of the 



green wail-paper of : ^ ■w^ere submitted 



to me for analysis. The _ - -ere found to 



consist mainly of arsenic'. ^r. and upon 



the removal of the papers : .,e . L 



la experimenting with- apparer. a- 



ble apparatus, and employing .al 



tests, in rooms the walls of v. ' ed 



with these arse-^- ■ • -^ ..le 



presence of th-. - a 



a^orded : and — . - - - ■ .-- --^- _,:- of 



all similar experiments made in this country and 

 in Europe, so far as my knowledge extends. We 

 must conclude that agents not recognisable by 

 chemical tests are capable of disturbing vital pro- 

 cesses. The evidence is very clear that in instan- 

 ces of illness confined to one or two members of a 

 household, the cause may be due to some acci- 

 dental disturbance with which all are equally 

 1 -.--■_. :_ . .. V .. ._■_: V Vj^ jjQ. ^^ power 



. A part. It is also 



t....r ..._: v..^?. ,- _.^.- .: v..>ease are of such a 

 character as easily to escape detection, and there- 

 fore any facts .v <;x:>Lrience which may serve as 

 guides to . .re worthy ol record. — 



i,\. ,<*'.« i - •a/ JcvriaL 



The peach crop in Xew Jersey is vacomm/mij 



promising. 



