1893-1894 - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

APPENDIX. 225
than if it was freshly drawn. I would like to hear some
explanation of that."
Dr. Thomas "
: One of the things that is always understood
in regard to the water supplies of cities is that the
water should not onh* be filtered, but that sufficient time
should be given for sedimentation, so that all
coarser particles,
I mean those that can be seen without the microscope,
will have time to settle."
Gentleman in the audience: "I would like to ask Dr.
Battle whether the fact that the tea and coffee
were boiled
did not have something to do with the difference, and also
whether the water was boiled or not?"
Dr. Battle:
"I don't remember that the water was boiled,
but of course the tea and coffee were boiled, but I think
that tea and coffee are both very
healthy, when taken in
moderation. There is hardly a doubt but that the bulk of
humanity is benefited by the use of tea and coffee. Of
course it is the abuse that brings about the nervous disorders,
ju.st as it is with alcohol. I think the experience
with alcohol has shown that the human frame cannot stand
over one ounce of alcohol a day without injury.
But as
I have said about the tea and coffee, certainly those i^eojDle
who take in the morning that form of beverage have better
health and are less liable to malarial infiuences."
Gentleman in the audience: "Mr. Chairman, I would
like to know if you can give us a simple remedy for testing
the water in our wells. It is a recognized fact that some
wells have water as clear as a crystal, and as cold as ice,
and yet the water is impure. Now we would like to have
some means of testing the water in our wells to see whether
it is pure or not."
Dr. Bahnson: "You can't tell that by any ordinary
means, because the water may taste bad and smell bad, and
jet the worst tasting and smelling water may be perfectly
harmless as far as we are concerned."