Well Water.

Otago Witness, Issue 2882, 16 June 1909, Page 76

Well Water.

4 writer in a well-known^ contemporary makes the following remarks: "It is probably safe to say that if a thorough investigation were made into the source of water infection in communities in which uphoid fever is abnormally prevalent, twoihirdts of the cases would trace baok to i r cece6-poliuted drinking 1 water. As regards the average run of private wells, it may with equal truth be said, that the quality of these could hardly be worse. It is obviously out of the question to make fre-* quent analyses of even a small proportion of such wells. No one who is compelled to .=lake his thirst from such a well can have any real assurance ths.:, be is not at the same time taking into his stomach the germ of typhoid 'fever; but the risk does not end here. People must use milk as well as water, and very frequently the unsuspecting use them in combination, as when the thrifty dairyman dilutes his too thick milk with a little well water. Even where (.he dairyman scorns such tricks he probably j;ses well water to wash his cans and utensils, and in this manner he may unwittingly convey to hie customers the disease-produc-ing typhoid germ. Even when the typhoid germ is absent, fasces-polluted water is generally injurious to health. It may, and does, contain germs which in the human body can give origin to inflammation, catarrhs, and dysenteries."