Some Preventable Diseases of British Guiana. 139 
their water, but would pounce on the nearest available trench. On the Essequebo 
Coast all the estates have large lakes aback from which they could obtain the 
necessary water ; but pipe borne, and not by open trenches. 
It is a little disheartening to read of two Magistrates’ decisions recently in 
which an attempt was made to convict persons of fouling a drinking water 
trench. In these cases, no conviction was obtainable because the Magistrates 
eld that it was a navigation trench in addition to being the drinking water 
trench of the village concerned. Obviously of course no drinking water trench 
should be used for navigation purposes as well, on account of the certain fouling 
of the water by the navigators. But one would have thought that if the fouling 
was satisfactorily proved, the question of its beg used as a navigation trench 
should not have had any weight. I base my facts solely on the newspaper 
reports. Possibly evidence not given in the papers led to the prosecutions being 
quashed. 
In the report of the Surgeon General (just issued) for the year 1909-1910 
under the heading “ Drinking Water, ” he states :—‘ As I have said before the 
storing of drinking water in open trenches and ponds is indefensible. I have 
advocated and I still advocate the adoption of the system in use at Pln. Blairmont, 
that is, theerection of tanks for storing the water.” 
_ Speaking subject to correction, I believe that Pln. Blairmont is by no means the 
wealthiest of sugar estates in the colony. If, therefore, Pn. Blairmont can 
afford to erect tanks for the storing of drinking water for their labourers, surely 
most of the other estates in the colony could do the same ! 
Many people seem to think with regard to the open trenches and ponds, 
that it is quite sufficient to fence these in and possibly also, as is done in some 
cases, to raise the sides of the dams bordering these trenches, etc., so that no 
dirt will be washed into them from the roadsides or pastures. With regard to 
fencing, most animals will manage to circumvent this, and with regard to the 
raising of the dams, I would like to draw attention to the following facts taken 
from Professor Simpson's “ Principles of Hygiene as applied to Tropical and 
Sub-tropical Climates ” :—< In 1905 Dr. Copeman made use of fluorescin to 
test whether a sewage farm belonging to the County Asylum of Cambridge, and 
on which the sewage of the Asylum was treated by broad irrigation, could possi- 
bly contaminate the two wells supplying the Asylum with drinking water. The 
Wells were 1,200 and 2,500 feet, respectively, distant from the sewage farm. The 
reason of the investigation was a series of typhoid fever cases at the Asylum. 
The geological stratum of the district consisted of chalk underlying a thin stratum 
ofloam. By digging through the loam on the sewage farm down to the chalk, 
and pouring five pounds of flourescin dissolved in water and caustic soda into the 
hole or trench, a positive result was given. In less than five days the fluorescin 
Was found in the first well, and in nine days in the more distant wells. ” 
If soakage can take place through such soil and at such distances, it is obvious 
that these reservoirs should be made impervious to such soakage. if we wish to 
avoid the dangers thereof. \ 
