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161
" 6. That on general grounds the water in the dead end. of mains is most
calculated to cause mischief, because in the event of any dangerous
contamination of a water supply having taken place, the morbific
material (typhoid bacilli) will tend, not only to accumulate in such
areas of sluggish circulation, but they will also remain there for a
longer period of time than in any other part of the network of mains.
The water consumer in such an area will, therefore, not only be more
likely to receive typhoid bacilli, but will receive them in larger numbers
and over a longer period of time, and there is thus a greater
probability of his infection being secured. These considerations
show the high importance of the regular and frequent flushing of
all such dead ends being carried out, and the serious danger to the
water consumer of any want of attention to this duty."
It is right to say that typhoid bacilli have never been
isolated from the water supplied by any metropolitan company.
None such were found in the samples reported on by
the public analyst, nor were any discovered in the Paisley
water; but the final observation by Sir Edward Frankland
contains a warning, as to the danger of dead-ends, which should
be taken to heart; for whilst" unable to pronounce any authoritative
judgment as to the origin of the recent epidemic,'' he was
of opinion " that the remarkable restriction of the epidemic
to an area in which an extraordinarily large number of deadends
of the water mains occur, points to particular dangers
attending such dead-ends," to which he had referred in his
report as being " a causa sufficiens of the mischief." The
lesson to be learned from our recent experience, perhaps,
is that water for examination by the public analyst should be
collected from the smaller mains and near to dead-ends. If
the water proves to be satisfactory in such localities, there
will be 110 question of its fitness for potable use in trunk mains
where the flow is active and constant.
Cutting-Off Powers of The Companies.—The Public
Health (London) Act, 1891, sec. 49, gives effect to the recommendation
made in these reports, many years ago, that a
metropolitan water company should be required to give