MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
127 
DISCUSSION. 
Dr. Lane : 
The primary use of a water supply is not domestic use. The primary 
use of the water supply is fire protection. The first reason for putting 
in city water is fire protection. The amount of water used is something 
like 100 gallons per day per person. Of that only about one-quarter is 
drunk. It might be that it would be cheaper and would pay to make 
each individual boil his water than to try to make the water safe for 
drinking use if it were otherwise desirable. There is another thing 
to be considered; that is the use for laundries and boilers which need 
soft water. It may be desirable to use artesian wells. 
Prop. Campbell: 
With many large factories now it is a very important problem as to 
water softening, and nearly all the large railroads are introducing water 
softening systems. 
Mr. Leverett : 
I think Dr. Vaughan might throw some light on that St. Louis matter. 
Dr. Vaughan: 
Prof. Williams was employed by the State of Missouri and I was 
employed by the State of Illinois. I differ from Prof. Williams on one 
point. I do not think there was any increase in typhoid fever in St. 
Louis. St. Louis has kept excellent records of typhoid fever. They 
have very complete records and there is scarcely a city in the union 
which has such records. Investigations which followed the Spanish 
War in 1898 showed that what was thought to be Malaria was typhoid 
fever. St. Louis, after that reported all deaths as due to typhoid fever, 
where formerly some were called malaria. 
Prop. Williams : 
I would say that it was extremely fortunate that they began this 
change of recording cases just ten weeks after the opening of the 
canal; if they had begun six weeks after or twelve weeks after the 
effect would have been different, but as they began just ten weeks after 
the canal was opened it saved Illinois’ case. 
