These were gas forming bacteria, but not colon. This should generally be expected to be found in such places. By more frequent flushing of the hydrants, this would be done away with, but there is bound to be an accumulation of material at the ends of the water pipes. The water in the stand pipe proved to be a good water. It contained about ten colonies to the cc. Only a few forming bacteria were found. The sediment in the bottom of the stand pipe contained about 250 colonies per cc, but one would expect to find it rather high in bacteria at the bottom of the tank. These were gas producing bacteria, but could not be called colon. They probably came from vegetable or animal organisms which had decomposed at the bottom of the pipe. The more often the pipe is cleaned, the better the water will be. Nevertheless the city does not obtain their water from the bottom of the pipe, as the water is not drawn below five or six feet. This water when taken from the well at the pumping station was clear. After examination, a few gas producing bacteria were found, and 0.02 parts per million of free ammounia was found which indicated the presence of organic matter. This amount is very small though. The chlorine content was 10 parts per million. Lake Michigan water generally contains not over five parts per million. I cannot say at present what causes this increase in the chlorine content. Otherwise chemically the water is all right, excepting a trace of nitrites, which would indicate decomposition geing on. The water taken from the faucet in Dr. Wright's office. This was quite turbid, caused by the storm the night before. In this water a little less free ammonia was found, only 0.015 parts per million; but the same amount of chlorine, ten parts per million, with traces of nitrites. I am again unable to account for this increase in chlorine. The bacterial content was ten colonies per cc, with some gas producing bacteria. 1907 ice supply. In this only ten colonies per cc were found, with a slight amount of gas. Chemically 0.07 parts per million of free ammonia and ten parts per million of albumenoid ammonia. Of course this is rather high in both ammonias, but one would expect this where so much organic matter is turned into the river. It certainly does show pollution. 1908 ice supply. In this were found ten colonies per cc. The ammonia ran very high again. This shows pollution with organic matter. From April to September there is generally a pretty strong southeast wind blowing over Lake Michigan. From October through March there is a strong west and northwest wind. As I was informed during the former months there was more or less intestinal troubles. Whether or not the sewage could be blown back near the mouth of the intake pipe, by these winds, is a question. I do not know whether this means anything or not, as I haven't had time enough to inquire more thoroughly into the matter. It has been found out that there is a southern current. There seems to be two eddies formed on the west shore of the lake, one beginning at Manitowoc, and going north, and the other beginning at Manitowoc and going south to Milwaukee. Thus Sheboygan would fall in the current leading to the south. As to wave action. It has been estimated that during storms upon Lake Michigan, waves have stirred up the water as low as 40 to 45 feet below the surface, but they do not have action at a depth of sixty feet below the surface. From the results and the information gathered by the above investigations at the present time only we cannot make any definite assertions as to the contamination of the water supply. The sanitary conditions of the city could be remedied to a great advantage. It is very hard to draw definite conclusions from only a few analyses, but we expect to keep up this investigation for some time, and at the end of which, we will be more able to make a more definite report. We will try to make further investigations of the intake pipe as to whether or not they should extend it further out into the Lake, having greater depth below the surface of the water, in order not to take in any of the contaminated water during storms on the lake. This can only be taken as a preliminary report of our investigations of the Sheboygan water supply. As a result of the investigation at Sheboygan both in regard to the Typhoid Fever epidemic and also with reference to the water supply system, the State Board of Health granted to the municipality permission to extend its intake pipe. The Board made the following recommendations. There is at Sheboygan a water plant with three avenues for obtaining water from the Lake. One a flue that connects with the lake shore, another an intake leading 900 feet into the lake in comparatively shallow water, and another 1800 feet into the lake, being a 400 foot extension of a former 1400 foot intake. Investigations prove to us that the handling of the present plant has not been scientific and therefore the plant has not been as serviceable and safe as it should have been. First: The well, while having a wall some thirteen inches in thickness in the main, had a wall only a brick and a half in thickness at the end of the flue. This permits of considerable seepage. Second: It was found during the epidemic of typhoid fever in Sheboygan that there was a hole in the main intake pipe at a distance 1400 feet from the plant, of sufficient size to allow gravel and small stones to be drawn into the well and into the pump sufficient to materially interfere with the use of the engine. This condition lasted for a considerable period of time. We will admit that with any plant accidents or temporary impairments are likely to occur but it is to be expected that immediately when suspicions are aroused as to the efficiency of a plant, careful investigation should be made and the necessary repairs made. Third: The 900 foot intake pipe is not connected with the well but directly with an engine known as the Gordon Engine. While this short intake pipe was apparently installed for use only when spicules of ice filled the main intake or a great emergency which required its agencies, we find that this Gordon pump was used in the year of 1908, the following weeks ending: February 22, 1908, March 21, 1908, March 28, 1908, April 4, 1908, April 11, 1908, April 18, 1908, April 25, 1908, April 30, 1908, Mry 2, 1908, May 9, 1908, May 23, 1908, May 30, 1908 and June 6, 1908; it therefore being one of the main pipes through which the water supply for Sheboygan is obtained. This pipe you will remember extends into very shallow water and water that is apparently constantly muddied by shore and wave action. At the times of our investigation the water was always muddy at the buoy marking the end of this pipe. This pump therefore appears to have been playing its part in a weekly routine effort to furnish the city of Sheboygan water. In view of that fact that at this time there was a serious epidemic of typhoid fever in that city we are not able to com prehend why the short so called emergency intake pipe should play such a prominent part in furnishing water for citizens. Especially is this true when the laboratory analysis of this water almost invariably showed pollution and marked pollution. If a filteration plant were installed at Sheboygan and received no greater care than the present water plant has received since it has come to the notice of the State Board of Health, we strongly question the safety and serviceability of such plant. In view of the situation at Sheboygan and the history of the plant there in the past, this Board feels constrained to offer to the citizens of Sheboygan permission to extend the intake pipe at least 3500 feet so as to obtain purer water than they now have, believing that by granting this permission the health of the citizens of Sheboygan will be better protected than by the establishment of a filtration plant with possibilities of carele s handling. LEGISLATIVE ENACTMENTS. PUBLIC HEALTH LAWS PASSED AT THE 1907 SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE. CHAPTER 57, LAWS OF 1907. Section 4608a-1. The state board of health is hereby empowered to make such rules and regulations for the transportation of the dead as in its judgment may be necessary to preserve the public health, and no dead body shall be accepted for transportation, except when prepared in conformity to the rules and regulations adopted by said board for the transportation of the dead. 2. All such rules and regulations shall comply with the rules of the American Association of general baggage agents, the national funeral directors association and the conference of state and provincial boards of health. CHAPTER 93, LAWS OF 1907. Section 1. Section 1, chapter 192, laws of 1905, is amended and made a section of the statutes of 1898, to read: Section 1416-1. It shall be the duty of every physician to report to the department of health in every town, incorporated village or city, in writing, the full name, age and address of every person suffering from any one of the infectious or contagious diseases following, towit: Measles, smallpox, diphtheria (membraneous croup), scarlet fever (scarlatina), typhoid fever, tuberculosis (of any organ), rubella (rotheln), chickenpox, typhus fever, plague, erysipelas, Asiatic cholera, whooping cough, cerebro spinal meningitis, yellow fever; and it shall be the duty of every person, owner, agent, manager, principal or superintendent of any public or private institution or dispensary, hotel, boarding or lodging house, in any such town, incorporated village or city, to make a report, in like manner and form, of any inmate, occupant or boarder suffering from any of the said infectious or contagious diseases. Section 2. Section 2, chapter 192, laws of 1905, is amended and made a section of the statutes of 1898, to read: Section 1416-2. It shall be the duty of every physician to report forthwith in writing to the said department of health, the death of any person who dies from, or while suffering with or from any infectious or contagious disease, and to state in such report the specific name and type of such disease, and in the absence of an attending physician, it shall be the duty of every keeper of any boarding house or lodging house, and the proprietor of every lodging house or hotel, to report forthwith to the department of health, all known facts in regard to any person who died in any such house or hotel under his charge suffering from any of the following infectious or contagious diseases: measles, diphtheria (membraneous croup), scarlet fever, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, smallpox, chickenpox, Asiatic cholera, typhus fever, ru 7-B. H. |