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11
conclusion that much bad health may be thus engendered.
Assuredly drinkers of spring water as it comes
from the earth are healthy people; and of wine drinkers,
and even spirit drinkers, those best enjoy their health
who merely mix the manufactured article with good
spring water.
If we go into the evidence against the use of London
pump water, from the positive injury to health with
which it may be not simply charged, but found guilty,
the verdict must be in its favour. At the last outbreak
of cholera there was good reason to believe that the
disease was propagated by the use of the water, supplied
by the pump in Broad Street, and it was discovered
that a drain actually poured its contents into the
well. Other similar cases are known. In an outbreak
of cholera or diarrhoea all water must be suspected,
whatever its source; and we may consider, as an established
rule, that in all such diseases no water should be
drank which has not been previously boiled; and, of
course, on the same principle, all persons subject to
bowel complaints should be very cautious about the
water which they drink.
I am not aware that beyond this class of diseases the
London wells are chargeable with positive injury to
health. Their condemnation is general, not specific.
The water they supply is charged with containing an
undue proportion of saline and an admixture of organic
matter. With regard to the first charge, of holding in
solution a large proportion of salts, most spring water
does contain more than river water; and I presume it is
the flavour thus given to spring water, together with
the excess of carbonic acid holding these salts in solution,
which constitutes that agreeable character which
makes everybody prefer spring to river water; and if
the water really contained nothing but the usual salts
in solution, even if they amounted to 60, 80, or even