t Preliminary Report on Natural Waters and the Effects 
of the Methods of Purification Adopted. 
Water Supply. 
General .—Intestinal diseases are the cause of so large a part of the 
lortality amongst the inhabitants of all nationalities of the Federated 
Ialay States that an examination of the existing water supplies becomes 
f the highest importance. 
Little has been published as to the minute flora of jungle streams 
1 so uniform a climate as that of Malaya. The thick jungle and the heavy 
ndergrowth provide abundance of vegetable matter to serve as a medium 
)r the growth of organisms. These streams are so shaded that they are 
ot exposed to direct sunlight or even to a strong diffused light and the 
imperature varies little from day to day or from day to night and is usually 
bout 80 F. at the lower levels. 
Under these conditions, as might be anticipated, the organisms are 
bundant and differ in type from those met with in temperate climates or in 
opical climates where the rainfall is less uniform and vegetation not so rank. 
The places selected for examination were, with certain exceptions, 
laces where the chances of contamination with the excreta of man or of the 
omesticated animals were very small. 
Jungle streams are the sources of nearly all the water supplies and are 
lost of them in granite country. Samples were taken from streams, at an 
ievation of over 3,000 feet, on Treacher’s hill, both from the side of the 
ill on which the Government Bungalow is situated and where slight 
' Dntammation is possible and from the other side where no such contamina- 
; on could take place. Other samples were from the streams entering the 
; 3 servoir at the Ampang Water Works. The catchment area is rigidly 
1 sserved for the town water supply. From a similar stream and reservoir 
>r the small island of Pangkor Laut and from the service reservoir supplied 
"ith unfiltered water at Klang. These sources are taken as examples of 
le natural water under natural conditions and unpolluted by man. 
Other samples where the possibility of pollution was great were certain 
; .reams, surface wells, etc. 
Method of examination employed. —The water was collected in sterilised 
' ottles and carried, packed in ice, to the laboratory and examined as soon 
s possible. 
The routine examinations consisted :— 
(1) Of plating a known volumes of the water on agar or gelatine. 
or both. 
4 ; & 
(2) Of inoculating with varying amounts, .4, 2 and 5 cc. were the 
usual ones, a tube of MacConkev’s medium, Bile salt glucose broth. 
(3) Plating on agar and gelatine from the 20 to 24 hour old 
growth in this medium. 
