SOME EXPERIENCES WITH LABORATORY CONTROL 
OF FIELD WATER SUPPLIES 
JACK J. HINMAN, JR. 
PUBLISHBD WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE SURGEON 
GENERAL, U. S. ARMY 
The Water Analysis Laboratories of the American Expedition- 
ary Forces began their work in January and February, 1918. The 
personnel consisted of Engineer and Medical Department officers 
and men. The Medical Department representatives were almost 
entirely from the Sanitary Corps and were furnished to the 
Engineer Department under provisions of G. O. 108, War De- 
partment, Washington, 1917. The organization formed a part of 
the Water Supply Service which was built around the 26th En- 
gineers, the Water Supply Regiment, as a nucleus. 
The responsibility for the purity of the water supplied to troops, 
as well as the provision of the water up to the water points in 
the zone of fighting, was first delegated to the Engineers by G. O. 
34, G. H. Q., A. E. F., February 25, 1918. The responsibility 
was extended to the Service of Supplies by G. O. 131, G. H. Q., 
A. E. F. August 7, 1918, and the whole service more fully ex- 
plained and specified by Bulletin 55, G. H. Q., A. E. F., August 
8, 1918. The responsibility for the quality of water beyond the 
water points remained with the Medical Department. 
Officers and men of the Water Analysis Laboratories were 
assigned to the District of Paris, the various Base Sections, the 
Intermediate Section, the Advance Section, S. O. S., to the Armies 
and to the companies of the 26th Engineers. The Sanitary In- 
spectors of Water of the Divisions were not members of the staff 
of the Water Analysis Laboratories. The Division Sanitary In- 
spector of Water found his duties accurately defined by Memo- 
randa 5 and 7 (Revised), Office of the Chief Surgeon, Division 
of Laboratories and Infectious Diseases, A. P. O. 721, August 
14, 1918. He worked under the direction of the Division Sanitary 
Inspector and confined himself chiefly to sanitary surveys of 
sources of supply and supervision of the treatment of water in 
Lyster bags. He was directed to refer any extensive chemical 
and bacteriological laboratory work to the Medical Department 
