THE WATER QUESTION.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XII, Issue 9415, 9 May 1879, Page 3

THE WATER QUESTION.

poison of aewage is so irregular in its action. Were it as certain in its effects as arsenic, it would probably do leas I harm, for proper care would then be taken, 1 to- avoid it. It is hard to move the pub* . lie.by B|;atfatica, or single- caaep, however J striking, and the. physician who is com- i polled to admit that very foul water may! be andv often is drunk with impunity,; constantly finds it impossible tb convince individuals, and local authorities -from] fhe rislis they are running. The fact cannot be too (Often repeated tbat , chemical analysis, while it tells us with absolute certainty when water is safe, cannot always tellus when it is actively noxijjus. Vfe knoW next to : Nothing yet of the real; 'toxic agents in impure water. Diluted: excreta, if fresh arid! from a heklthy. subject would be Unlikely', to Jnjure slny-. body, but as the excreta frequently contain the germs of zymotic, diseas©^ ,tho| sewage contaminated ' water whic% , is harmless one week may bec° m 6 aeialythe next, althouch analysis reyeals.no daEerence. This is the doctrine which eyery practitioner should preach. ;. It must be remembered moreoyer that contamination from human excreta, ,__ is not the only con' taminattynrtq be feared* x The stagnant water of 'tddrshy . districts f rich in ' the products of vegetable" decay and the washwgtofthe'sVil; h'afrtiitfut cdusfqf' intermittent fedW> % There in reaion to; believe that a good -deal of the mischief; ascribed' to the atmosphere of su6h dia-: tricts is often due't6|the! water, and might! be % avoided*v't>r6tier.'care,". -. . ' %r; ' 1

The following extract is taken from the lianoet , of .Ap^ril ?1, l^^trrVThe recent discussion m-. Parliament on the subject of water-supply cannot fail to do goodj Mr, Brqwa" who .raided it, wisely confined himself mainly to the' supply of vbMl('->dlfffeii«ifl)/ ; ttikd 'aa.duce : a Wcts^andarguments familial to ill; <JUr f readers in' illustration ofr.tKelwide-Bprgad mortality due.jto, f! i)pp^di,we)ls>: Wvj B«ed;^not capitulfttehis. Btatement^. „F e^medical^ medical men axe' without personal experience in the matter, and many are striving and have, striven for years to abate the evil. Tkovsands die every year from the poison of foul water, and many more suffer long continued sickness. Railway accidents, colliery explosions, even battles, cannot claim s^jaany.-TictJws^.RS-,^?.. village, a rt) pe^cetiji%;,pcrease ... ln'-.thftn^ygr-w«pb»W I* ; ftW n inward me ! Q6yjffloss.p „, which, auweeded , . jn j txtirpatiDgitfl rigors.. It may almost b fi Mad to be a natter for regret .that th