Abstract
IN this work the author has brought together accounts of the water supplies of some twenty-six towns of France, giving details, as far as possible, of the source from which the water is derived in each case, of the treatment to which it is subjected before distribution and of its chemical and bacteriological character. These accounts are derived from analyses and reports furnished by the various analysts who have actually examined the supplies, and are of very varying degrees of completeness. The object which the author had in view in making his inquiries was to ascertain what method of purification, if any, was usually employed by the municipality to ensure the freedom of the water from the germs of disease. The answer to this question is that the municipalities select the best water at their disposal and deliver it to the consumers either without any treatment or after filtration through sand, Anderson's iron process being used in a few cases. The author does not regard sand-filtration as by any means a satisfactory method of purification, in spite of the fact that experiments have shown that when properly carried out it is extremely efficacious, and that the comparative freedom from water-borne disease of towns like London, which make use of water known to be polluted, depends entirely on its use. No discussion of this or kindred points is given, and this somewhat detracts from the value of the book. After pointing out the numerous sources of contamination which may affect the water of towns both before collection and during distribution, the author recommends all householders to protect themselves by purifying all water in their own houses by filtration or other means, and believes that only in this way can security be attained. A very proper and timely protest is made against the continued use of cemeteries for burying those who have died of infectious diseases, and also against the fashionable institution of cemeteries for pet animals, the infiltrations from all of which pass into the streams and rivers of the district, so that, as the author expresses it, “nous mangeons ou buvons de l'homme et du chien à une sauce non prévue dans les traités de gastronomic”
La Question de l'Eau potable devant les Municipalités.
By P. Guichard. Pp. 190. “Encyclopédie Scientifique des Aide-Mémoire.” (Paris: Gauthier-Villars, n.d.) Price fr. 3.
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La Question de l'Eau potable devant les Municipalités . Nature 66, 28 (1902). https://doi.org/10.1038/066028a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/066028a0