A w . , 1914
T H E J O I ; R , V d L O F I N D U S T R I A L A N D E-VGILVEERING C H E M I S T R Y
hypochlorite t h a n those growing at 37' C., which m a y be due, in p a r t , t o t h e fact t h a t there was a greater n u m b e r originally present. z n d because t h e saphrophytic organisms may be n o r e vulnerable t o t h e t r e a t ment. These reductions were 99 per cent a n d 85 per cent, respectively, i n t h e Gunpowder River supply, a n d S 3 per cent a n d 76 per cent, respectively, in t h e Jones Falls supply. On t h e other h a n d , t h e prelimi n a r y storage a n d sedimentation with rather constant use of a coagulant effected a reduction of only j j per cent of t h e organisms growing a t z o o C., whereas t h e organisms growing a t t h e higher temperature were reduced b y 86 per cent. T h e four sub-classes of t h e B. coli group were all reduced b y nearly an equal a m o u n t which varied between 97 per cent a n d 99 per cent. T h e B . lactis aerogenes a n d B . acidi l a c f i c i suffered t h e least reduction, b u t t h e difference is so slight t h a t , although based upon some fifteen hundred isolations, t h e results d o n o t warrant a n y conclusion t h a t these t y p e s are a n y less vulnerable t o t h e t r e a t m e n t t h a n t h e t r u e B . coli commultis or B . coli communiov. During t h e time when t h e a m o u n t of available chlorine applied exceeded 1.50 p a r t s per million there was frequently observed in t h e water from t h e city t a p s a n odor of chlorine, or a n odor apparently due t o chlorine, a n d t h e presence of residual chlorine could be demonstrated b y chemical tests; b u t with t h e use of 1 . 5 0 p a r t s or less few complaints were received, although trouble was still encountered b y t h e ice companies using t h i s water for t h e manufacture of ice. T h e odor was most noticeable in t h e core ice where i t becomes segregated as t h e water freezes. a n d as distillation of t h e water before freezing does not remove this odor, i t would seem t h a t t h e chlorine is i n some organic combination t h a t passes over with t h e distillate. T h e number of cases of typhoid fever occurring in Baltimore during 1913 was seventeen per cent less t h a n a n average of t h e number of cases occurring during t h e five years from 1906 t o 1910 before t h e t r e a t m e n t was instituted. TVATER D E P A R T M E NBALTIMORE T,
A SANITARY SURVEY OF WHITE RIVER' By JOHN C. DIGGS
During t h e summers of 1908 a n d 1910 t h e W a t e r D e p a r t m e n t of t h e Indiana S t a t e Board of Health made investigations of t h e sanitary condition of t h e waters of t h e southern end of Lake Michigan a n d of t h e Calumet River. These surveys disclosed such grossly polluted conditions t h a t i t seemed wise t o continue similar work o n t h e other streams of t h e State. I n 1911 t h a t portion of t h e Ohio bordering Indiana was studied a n d in 1912 a t t e n t i o n was given t o t h e K a b a s h River. These investigations proved b o t h of these s t r e a m s t o be seriously polluted b y domestic sewage a n d manufacturing wastes. I n 1913 t h e west fork of White River, a stream rising in and traversing i t s entire course through Indiana, was selected for s t u d y . White River is not a large stream, b u t i t is of great importance as a source of mater supply for m a n y I n d i a n a cities. 1 Presented at t h e 49th Meeting of t h e American Chemical Society, Cincinnati, April 6-10, 1911.
639
T h e watershed of t h e west fork of this stream h a s a n area of 5,034 square miles (one-seventh of t h e t o t a l area of t h e S t a t e ) . T h e population of t h e drainage basin is approximately 638,000. T h e rural population is 2 7 5,000 a n d t h e u r b a n 3 6 3 , 0 0 0 . T h e average population €or t h e entire basin is 1 2 7 per square mile. T h e highest density, 664 per square mil'e, is in Marion County, t h e seat of Indianapolis. Although t h e valley of t h e river is only 2 7 5 miles in length, t h e course of t h e s t r e a m covers 3 8 8 miles, due t o meanderings a n d m a n y short curves. Throughout the upper portion, t h e river is small a n d very rapid, b u t from Indianapolis t o its m o u t h i t is sluggish a n d flows i n a wide channel. I n t h e s t u d y of t h e conditions of t h e stream, a t t e n tion was given t o t h e following features: I-General features of drainage basin. a-Topography and geology. b-Principal tributaries. c-Gradient. d-River stages and river flow. e-Precipitation. j-Population of watershed. 2-Water works system. 3-Sewage systems a n d sewage disposal. 3-Disposal of garbage a n d night soil. j-Uanufacturing wastes. 6-Oil well wastes. 7-Typhoid fever. 8-General sanitary condition of cities. 9-Sanitary condition of White River. Io-Chemical a n d bacterial analyses. a-From White River, including study of cross river and depth of samples. b-Samples from tributaries. c-Samples from cities and towns. (I) Public: (a)surface supplies; ( b ) ground waters. (2) Private: (a) wells; ( b ) springs; (c) cisterns. T h e upper portion of t h e stream was surveyed on foot a n d b y means of a row boat. Samples were collected a t frequent intervals from t h e river a n d sent t o t h e laboratories of t h e S t a t e Board of Health a t I n dianapolis for analysis. F r o m Martinsville, a point 43 miles below Indianapolis, t o t h e mouth of t h e ril-er t h e work was conducted from a floating laboratory. This was a house b o a t 40 feet long b y 13 feet wide, stern wheel paddle, equipped with room for laboratory, living a n d sleeping quarters. T h e surveying p a r t y consisted of four t o five men made u p partially of students taking scientific courses in t h e S t a t e Universities. Samples were collected a t points in t h e river as t h e boat moved do,wn stream. Stops of several days were made a t towns bordering on t h e river. -4t these places samples were collected from public a n d private water supplies a n d sanitary surveys of the towns conducted. During t h e course of t h e work a total of 7 7 9 samples of water were collected a n d analyzed (391 river samples a n d 388 from private water supplies, driven wells, dug wells, cisterns a n d springs); 4j per cent of this number were good, 4 0 per cent b a d a n d I j per cent of doubtful quality. Of t h e 197 dug wells which were examined, only jo
640
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T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING C H E M I S T R Y
or 2 j per cent were good, j8 per cent were bad and 16 per cent classed as doubtful; 1 1 , or 7 2 per cent, of t h e I 54 driven wells examined, were found t o be good, I 2 per cent were bad and 16 per cent of doubtful quality. Of 7 springs examined, 3 were good, 3 bad, and I doubtful. At t h e time of t h e collection of t h e samples special notice was given t o t h e sanitary condition of the backyard in which t h e well or cistern was located. I n some places as many as half a dozen wells and a dozen privies (the unsanitary type) occurred within a radius of I O O ft. I n most cases the soil was made up largely of gravel, allowing a t least a fair filtering material. I n one instance, Gosport, Indiana, the wells occurred in a stratum, locally known as Mitchell limestone. This is a very extensively fissured material and quite soluble. Practically all the wells of the town draw their supply from the same vein, or underground stream of water. When one owner cleans out his well, the neighboring wells are muddied. From t h e analyses of these supplies it was quite evident t h a t this same underground stream served the double d u t y of water supply and sewerage system. I n carrying on the investigations in towns, cooperation of local health officers was obtained. Many of the unsanitary conditions were remedied and polluted wells abandoned. This paper can hope t o give no more t h a n a mere outline of the work done. Detail of the methods employed will be found in t h e 1913 report of the Indiana S t a t e Board of Health. From the inspection of local conditions, study of water supply (public and private) and methods of sewage disposal much information has been obtained which will be of great value t o t h e public of t h e State. White River is a comparatively small stream, yet i t is used as a source of public water supply and sewage disposal for over 300,000 people. I t is seriously polluted and in many places a great detriment not only t o t h e health of persons using i t as a supply, b u t in some places t o persons living along its banks. M a n y private supplies of the State are seriously polluted. This especially applies t o dug wells. This survey shows need of legislative power t o be vested in central authority, naturally the State Board of Health, whereby t h e rivers, our natural resources, can be saved for t h e future generations. The public is beginning t o realize t h a t i t is not properly conserving its resources when it permits the streams of its State t o be defiled by the refuse of its cities. But public opinion is slow t o form and the need of education is decidedly apparent. To collect d a t a regarding the unsanitary conditions of t h e streams, t o determine t h e tremendous amount of waste which goes into t h e m and t o point out t o the public t h e number of deaths and a m o u n t of sickness which may be traced back t o the polluted water, become t h e duties of health departments. But education, in many cases, will not cause the packer t o cease dumping his offal into t h e streams. T h e n it becomes the d u t y of the health authorities t o present t o the legislative bodies facts concerning the unsanitary conditions and their causes,
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t h a t t h e health of the public m a y be sought before the financial gain of a n individual. I N D I A N A S T A T E B O A R D OF H E A L T H
INDIANAPOLIS
AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE CHEMISTRY OF LAUNDERING' By
w.F. FARAGHER
Received April 17, 1914
The laundry industry is one of a group which are not usually classified as strictly chemical industries, b u t which, nevertheless, depend in large measure upon the proper control of chemical reactions for their successful operation. The list includes, among others, bakeries, glass factories, brick plants, brass and iron foundries, confectioneries, tanneries and creameries. Although the laundry industry is one of the most important, both in point of the nature of t h e service it renders modern civilized communities and of the number of employees and the capital invested,* it is perhaps the last t o avail itself of t h e benefits t o be derived from a n extensive adoption of the methods and teachings of chemical and engineering science. A great deal of ingenuity has been displayed in bringing the processes and machinery employed t o their present state, but investigation shows t h a t before the industry may rightfully be classed as a n efficient one, much improvement is necessary, especially in the case of the chemical processes which occur either as essential parts of t h e operation, or as harmful accompanying reactions. As a result of the study given t o the production of high-grade laundry work by the more progressive men engaged in the industry, empirical methods are now quite generally employed in t h e best plants which leave little t o be desired as far as the appearance of t h e finished articles is concerned. B u t for t h e purpose of investigating the possibility of introducing more scientific methods, which would improve conditions by prolonging t h e period of usefulness of t h e articles laundered and also by reducing t h e cost of production of the work, t h e experiments t o be described were carried out. The work of the laundry is necessarily complex, b u t may be conveniently divided into a number of parts. Exclusive of the collection and delivery of the bundles, and of t h e marking and listing of t h e articles in each bundle t o make possible their return t o t h e respective owners, the following operations may be enumerated: sorting, washing, extracting, t h a t is, t h e removal of excess water by means of centrifugal machines, starching, drying, dampening, ironing, and finally finishing or folding into neat compact form, and sorting into lots t o be tied u p later into bundles. 'These data represent a part of the work done during the author's tenure of the Alden Speare Fellowship (September. 1907, to December, 1909). The work was carried out under the direction of the late Dr. Robert Kennedy Duncan, to whom the author owes much for valuable advice and encouragement. The author wishes also t o express his appreciation for the helpful assistance rendered by Dr. Hamilton P. Cady. 2 The census of 1910 included power-laundries for the first time The number of plants reported is 5184. This does not include the laundries. in hospitals, public institutions and shirt and collar factories. A careful study of conditions in Chicago indicates an annual volume of business close to S3.000.000.
