149 



Pollution or Watek by Bathers. 



A bacteriological study of the water used by a bather at the Victoria 

 Baths at Bonn, 1 shows well the character and amount of pollution that 

 may take place in public baths. The test was made on a stoker (Heizer), 

 who was made to wash in a tub for three minutes, using no soap. Before 

 the test, the bath water contained 24 bacteria in a cubic centimeter, and 

 no Bacillus coll. After the three minute washing, the bath water con- 

 tained 1,900 bacteria and 40 Bacillus coli in each cubic centimeter. 



Bacteriological tests made by the writer on the water of the swimming 

 pool in the new memorial gymnasium at Purdue University demonstrated 

 the presence of 930 bacteria per cubic centimeter in the water of the pool 

 before being used by the bathers. After use by about thirty bathers, all 

 of whom were supposed to have taken a soap shower before entering the 

 pool, the bacterial content was 109,200 per cubic centimeter. Tests were 

 made for Bacillus coli, and the results were consistently positive after the 

 pool had been used. The water immediately after cleaning the pool and 

 refilling gave consistently negative results for Bacillus coli. 



The available literature gave almost no data as to bacteriological 

 analyses of swimming pool waters. 2 



DISEASE DANGERS IN SWIMMING POOLS. 



There are great chances for the dissemination of germ diseases through 

 indoor swimming pools. The results of the bacteriological tests given in 

 the preceding paragraphs, which showed the constant presence of the 

 Bacillus coli in the water used by bathers, demonstrates the possibility 

 of intestinal diseases, particularly typhoid fever. While bathers do not 

 swallow the water intentionally, it is next to impossible to avoid getting 

 some water into the nose and mouth, which would ultimately reach the 

 intestinal tract. One does not have to be sick or to have any symptoms 

 of typhoid fever to disseminate the germs of that disease. This is well 

 shown in the notorious <-ase el' "Typhoid Mary*' in New York." 



Diseases of the respiratory tract have an unusual Hiauce to be spread 

 in the swimming pool. The bather with incipient tuberculosis, pneumonia 



1 Zur Hygiene der Hallenschwisnmbade. Dr. Setter. Aus dem Hygienischen 

 Inst, der Univ. Bonn. Rundschau, Dec. 1, 190S. 



2 Hesse. Dresdm. Zeitschrift f. Hyg. Bd. 25. Eden, Berlin. Arch. f. Hyg. Bd. 

 1!>. Koslik, Gratz. Diese Zeitschr. is<>x, s. 361. 



3 Whipple. Typhoid fever. 



