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22
house drains which results; and through the dusty condition
of the streets, the dust carrying with it a considerable
portion of organic matter.
This district being entirely supplied
Water Supply. from the Thames, suffers from the disadvantages
of river-water as a source of drinking-water.
One of the chief of these is its extremes of temperature
(varying from 37o.0 to 70o.5 Fahr. during the year,
as compared with a variation between 530.6 and 580.l
Fahr. in the deep-well water distributed by the Kent
Company). The deep-well water remains refreshing
and palatable in the summer, while in winter it
diminishes the risk of frozen pipes, in both of which
respects it is very superior to river-water. Deep-well
water again has been subjected to natural filtration
through deep strata, the efficiency of which cannot
be equalled by artificial filtration. Little complaint
need, however, be made of the Company's water, if it
were always drunk in as comparatively pure condition
as contained in the mains.
A Constant Supply While in the cistern, which usually
required. supplies the closet with flushing-water
and the inmates of the house with drinking-water, it is
open to frequent contaminations, owing to the absence
or defective condition of lids; or to accidental emptying
of the cistern and then absorption of foul gases from
the closet-pan; or to the connection of the overflow-pipe
with some part of the drainage system (still not
an uncommon condition); or to other causes. The
tepiJ condition of the water induced by exposure to
a hot sun in a shallow cistern, gives rise to putrefactive
changes, which are active in the production of Summer
Diarrhoea. A constant supply of water, which would