EDWARD ELSWORTH. 241 



the encouragement of cleanliness, in the removal of 

 dust, and not its redistribution. 



Next to the air we breathe, nothing more interests the 

 welfare of the human race than the water we drink. 

 The sources from which it is derived, the possible causes 

 of contamination — all should be studied and guarded 

 with the utmost vigilance and intelligence. It is to the 

 credit of the race that much more attention is paid to 

 these matters than there used to be even twenty-five 

 years ago. This branch of the subject is suggested be- 

 cause water is the natural enemy and antidote of dust, 

 but I propose to speak of it also from a sanitary stand- 

 point, and that will limit the discussion to the subject of 

 drinking water. Let us commence with our own city, 

 and examine the different sources of water supply which 

 are available. First, we have the rain water from our 

 roofs ; second, the ground water, which may be obtained 

 by sinking ordinary shallow wells ; third, the water 

 which may be obtained from those deep currents, under 

 lying the strata of clay and rock, upon which the city 

 rests (by artesian wells) ; fourth, we have the waters of 

 the Fallkill creek ; and lastly, the Hudson River. It is 

 the common opinion that rain water is the purest of all 

 water. Theoretically, this is true. If we could tap a 

 cloud and draw thence our supply through clean con- 

 duits, nothing could be purer. It would rival the dis- 

 tilled water of the laboratory. But few reflect that the 

 rain drops passing through the lower air, act as 

 scavengers and carry many germs and other impurities 

 with them. Then, the roofs and gutters of houses, es- 

 pecially in cities, are depositors of street dust, which 

 nine times out of ten is washed into the cistern with the 

 water. The family using cistern water, should see to it 

 that every precaution is used to prevent impurities from 

 entering the cistern, and also see that the water is 

 properly filtered before using. 



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