MEDICAL SURVEY OF THE TOAVN OF TAYTAY. 213 



The alluvmm formation consists of a l^lack soil which is cultivated 

 for rice and is accordingl}' kej^t flooded Math water during a large part 

 of the year. The main streams at Taytay have low banks and during 

 the flood season frequently overflow. Furthermore, there is a small 

 branch from the rice lands which passes through the town when the 

 fields are irrigated. Accordingly it will be understood readily that the 

 alluvium formation is saturated thoroughly with water throughout most 

 of the year. 



The wells at Taytay fall into two classes — those which obtain water 

 from the tuff formation and those which are dug into the alluvium. The 

 deepest well in the tuff formation is situated in the patio of the convent 

 ■which adjoins the church. It is not used by the public. The principal 

 well of this class and the one most generally used by the town is situated 

 in the street one block southwest of the municipal building. (Plate IX, 

 Fig. 8.) It lias a large cistern walled with blocks of tuff which are arched 

 up to a rectangular opening, but the walls do not rise high enough above 

 the ground to afford any protection from surface contamination. There 

 are two smaller wells to the, southeast near the border of the tuff area 

 which obtain their water from this formation, and to the northeast of the 

 town there are two shallow wells dug into the banks of the ravine and 

 extending into the tuff'. To the north of the town and beyond the limits 

 of the maj?, there is a well excavated into the tuff Avhich during the dry 

 season contains only a little water. It is common for a man to climb down 

 into this well and dip up the water, which is not present in sufficient 

 amount to fill a bucket lowered from the surface. 



The remaining wells of the town obtain water from the alluvium. 

 Some of these are dug at a considerable distance from streanrs, others are 

 on the banks of streams and some are in the stream channels, so that 

 during the flood season they are overflowed. None of these wells have 

 good curbs or walls to aid in the prevention of sui'face contamination. It 

 is a usual thing for the people to take the water from the wells by means 

 of l)uckets or oil cans lowered into thy well on the end of a rope or pole, 

 and in doing this they stand very near the opening of the well. Water 

 accidentally spilled washes, over the stones which wall the mouth of the 

 well, and a part of it falls back into the -well. Dirt which has been in 

 contact with the natives' feet may fall into the well, or contamination 

 may arise from dirt on their hands, which, upon drawing a second bucket 

 of water, are more or less rubbed on the rope. The people of Taytay have 

 the idea that wells near houses are apt to be dangerous sources of supply 

 and so they generally prefer to bring water from the wells outside the 

 town, especially during the dry season when the water has a lower level 

 in the wells and becomes accordingly more turbid. The wells most fre- 

 quented outside of the town are situated directly in the stream beds, 

 and although the mouths of these wells are above the level of the water 



