Deadly Affect of Water Impurity.  -- according to the late Dr. William Budd, it also appears to be highly probable that, the poison of typhoid fever enters the system by drinking water, infection is more certain than when it is disseminated by the hair and is breathed into the lungs.  It's part of the statement, he instances an outbreak which occurred in Wales, where out of ninety or a hundred persons who attended a ball, fully one third was shortly afterward laid up with fever.  Although the water was not examined, there was satisfactory reason to believe it was polluted with sewage.

 

Even in public places where you would expect the aristocracy or at least the rich people together, water impurity was such a problem that sewage could be mixed into the drinking water supply at a ball.  Clearly this highlights the fact that discovering this problem was still relatively new compared to attempt to deal with the problem effectively.  This was such a new problem, that they were literally dying from it because they could act fast enough, and maybe they didn't even know that they were supposed to act fast.  For all we know looking at this account, replacing their Movado watches might have been of higher importance than investing money in improving their drinking water supply.

Additional Articles from the Book of Medicine:

• Art of Walking
  
  

  Art of Walking.- walking requires the nicest adjustment, prompt action, and the finest calculations to maintain the dignity, proper attitude, equipoise and balance of the body.  This is well illustrated when one runs up against any obstacle in the dark.  We observed then with what had long force the body is propelled forward.  In walking the first thing that occurs as the incline of the body for work; the foot is then gradually raised on the toes, and brought from a horizontal position into an almost vertical one; at the same time Denis, which was at first considerably bent, straightened out by the advancing forward movement.  Every part of the leg and thigh is changed its position except the toes; that part far this for the toes and most of all; and gradually diminishing in geometrical proportions downward.

  Nice descriptions here even a reference to a commonality in 1910, the blacksmith.  Today, we’d be more likely to discover a career mom on a tread mill with a husband at home taking nuphedrine to lose weight.

• Muscular Arrangement and Blood Supply
  
  

  Muscles of the Trunk of the Human Body.

  Muscular Arrangement and Blood Supply.  — In this exquisite and magnificent colored engraving we had a grand view of the wonderful arrangement of the muscles of the trunk of the human body, together with the muscular arrangement of the arms and likewise their blood supply.  The trunk of the body is divided into two compartments — the thorax and the abdomen.

  I believe this opening segment is referring to the first image and charred two.  (see chart 2 first picture  )

  Now I am not a doctor nor I are very good artist, but as I look at this drawing or engraving as it’s referred to it seemed a little basic to me.  Sure I’m used to souped-up graphics and a number of other things that it developed in the last 90 years.  That difference I suppose is one of the remarkable things about the book.  I often point out the difference and grammar and punctuation and perspective to need a little bit and knowledge.
  This is another example of cultural differences spanning 90 years of time.  90 years ago this might have been a very accurate and high-tech picture, well today and 2007 it looks extremely basic almost like something that a grade school student might color with a crayon.

  It may be a little trite but like to point out also a diagram of the belly button, which strikes me as rather ludicrous looking even though it’s not all that bad.  Maybe it’s the two-dimensional rendering of the belly button that strikes me, or maybe it’s the juxtaposition of a section of skin on top of a section of the torso that has no skin.  I’m not really sure but it seems little funny to me.

• Detection of Lead in Water
  
  

  Detection of Lead in Water. — the method of detecting the probable presence of lead in a sample of drinking water is so simple that every reader is advised to take the first opportunity of examining their own water supplies, and so making sure that they or their families are not liable to the insidious dangers of lead poisoning. In order to determine whether a water is contaminated with lead, all one has to do is to drop two or three drops of the solution of sulfide of ammonium into the suspected fluid, contained in a white bowl or large cup, and observe whether a brownish or yellowish coloration is produced. If the liquid remains perfectly clear and colorless you may be sure that it either contains no lead, or that such a metallic impurities present in a quantity of less than 1/10 of a grain to the gallon, an amount which is not generally injurious to health. If , however, a slight brownish tint is produced in the water which is being tested, it must not be too hastily condemned is poisoned, since either copper or iron might give rise to the same coloration with the reagent. Such a suspicious water pots, however, to be properly analyzed by some good analytical chemist before being employed for either cooking or drinking purposes any further.

   

  I would just like to remind readers and visitors that this is a review of the practices taught in medicine almost 100 years ago and should not necessarily be considered accurate and up to date.  Performing any of the actions in this blog may not be safe or have a desirable effect or result any more than using bamboo shades for fencing or taking instructions from a bugs bunny cartoon.