Soil and Water Pollution : Presented to the American Public Health Association at New Orleans, Dec. 1880

by M. T. Runnels

NAME.	GRAMS PER LITRE.			PARTS pr MILL.		Nitrates and Nitrites	Degree of Hardn.	OPINION.
	Total Solids.	Organ. Volat.	Chlorine.	Free Amm.	ALB. Amm.
Blackford st	0.78	0.39	0.38	.04	.4	large	6½	Bad.
Peru st.	0.54	0.36	0.025	.03	.13	small	12	Suspicious.
N. Penn. st.	0.65	0.38	0.03	.08	.10	small	3	Suspicious.
N. Alab. st.	0.48	0.24	0.059	.06	.06	small	7	Good.
N. Delaw. st.	0.54	0.22	0.31	.029	.182	large	4	Bad.
School st.	0.994	0.414	0.10	.04	.16	large	5½	Very bad.
East Ohio st.	1.04	0.63	0.47	.12	.22	large	7	Abominable.
Mass. av.	0.89	0.39	0.213	.07	.13	large	4½	Bad.
E. Ohio	0.892	0.374	0.121	.04	.10	large	3½	Bad.
N. N. Jersey	0.78	0.29	0.08	.03	.13	large	3½	Bad.
E. Pratt	0.69	0.28	0.074	.02	.09	large	4	Bad.
E. Maryland	0.99	0.47	0.111	.07	.199	large	7	Very bad.
Bellfontain	0.49	0.19	0.004	.03	.022	small	4	Good.
Christian av.	0.67	0.23	0.012	.035	.06	large	4	Passably good.
East Verm’t	0.59	0.19	0.12	.03	.09	large	3½	Suspicious.

NAME.	GRAMS PER LITRE.			PARTS pr MILL.		Nitrates and Nitrites	Degree of Hardn.	OPINION.
	Total Solids.	Organ. Volat.	Chlorine.	Free Amm.	ALB. Amm.
N. Alab. st.	.832	.56	.059	.70	.12	large	4½	Very susp.
N. Alab. st.	.79	.39	.055	.64	.10	large	5	Very susp.
N. N. Jersey	.82	.39	.09	.06	.09	med.	5	Suspicious.
N. N. Jersey	.91	.40	.055	.08	.12	large	5	Bad.
Alab. & Waln.	.87	.39	.067	.11	.10	large	4½	Bad.
N. Penn. st.	1.04	.62	.111	.16	.204	large	7	Very bad.
Oak st.	.57	.24	.014	.02	.009	small	4	Good.
E. Verm’t st.	.66	.29	.04	.05	.07	small	4½	Good.
S. Merid. st.	.89	.385	.07	.07	.09	large	6	Very susp.
S. Penn. st.	1.24	.81	.22	.19	.22	large	7	Abominable.
S. Penn. st.	.87	.33	.072	.095	.088	large	5	Bad.
Vir. Av.	1.12	.50	.79	.11	.29	large	4½	Very bad.
E. Wash. st.	.79	.33	.09	.107	.18	large	4½	Bad.
N. West st.	.83	.42	.07	.067	.093	large	6½	Bad.
E. South st.	.74	.22	.03	.03	.06	med.	5	Passable.

NAME.	GRAMS PER LITRE.			PARTS pr MILL.		Nitrates and Nitrites	Degree of Hardn.	OPINION.
	Total Solids.	Organ. Volat.	Chlorine.	Free Amm.	ALB. Amm.
S. East st.	.82	.39	.05	.037	.114	large	5	Bad.
E. Market st.	.97	.32	.12	.049	.23	v. large	4½	Very bad.
E. Mich. st.	1.12	.57	.07	.072	.17	large	4½	Very bad.
Central av.	.607	.22	.044	.041	.09	med.	6½	Suspicious.
Laurel st.	.92	.38	.089	.105	.38	v. large	6½	Very bad.
East Georgia	.62	.49	.072	1.08	.427	large	1½	Very bad.
Broadway st.	.63	.30	.022	.03	.04	small	7	Good.
East N. Y. st.	.59	.21	.094	.07	.07	large	6½	Bad.
N. N. Jersey	.66	.24	.07	.08	.069	large	7	Bad.
N. N. Jersey	.68	.22	.075	.09	.066	large	6½	Bad.
N. Illinois st.	.80	.31	.03	.039	.113	large	6½	Suspicious.
Hoyt av.	.30	.06	0.1	.04	.06	small	4	Good.
W. St Clair st.	.83	.32	0.7	.045	.112	large	7	Very susp.
N. Tenn. st.	.69	.27	0.55	.07	.09	med.	6½	Very susp.
N. Tenn. st.	.66	.19	.065	.09	.11	large	6½	Very susp.
W. North st.	.74	.30	.04	.09	.12	large	6½	Bad.
E. North st.	.69	.28	.03	.08	.08	large	6½	Suspicious.
N. Delaw. st.	.75	.29	.075	.07	.11	large	7	Bad.
J. N. Hurty, Analyst.

It is very surprising to me that many people are so ignorant in regard to impure water and its deleterious effect on health. I have met with “would be” highly educated persons who have regarded, and do regard any agitation of this subject, as of little value to the public, and as very damaging to the fair fame of the city, and for that reason to be at all hazards covered up and kept secret.

They also express the thought that every kind of water is filled with microscopic creatures, and that a small amount of filth or dirt in drinking water does no special harm to anyone. All this is the opposite of the facts. Prof. Barnard, of Cornell University, says: “Pure water is not inhabited by organisms; on the contrary stagnant water or impure water alone affords them subsistence. They hasten the destruction of dead animal and vegetable matters the waters may contain, causing for the time being an infusion or fermentation.”

Macdonald states that “mineral particles may affect health on account of their mechanical action, as for example when mineral silt or clay causes diarrhœa. Dead animal and vegetable substances may have more important effects, as when suspended fecal matter produces irritation of the whole alimentary tract. On the other hand, living things, such as the ova of entozoa, the nematoid worms and small leeches may give rise at once to certain grave disorders, or algæ may act on sulphates and disengage sulphuretted hydrogen.”

Pure water is one of God’s best gifts to man, and if that is allowed to be adulterated the impairment of our health and the destruction of our happiness is sure to follow.

In the samples of dug well waters which have recently been analyzed, the following animalculæ in addition to those given above were found by the use of the different powers of the microscope: