Bacteria and Other in Migula undertook to classify all bac teria into five families, namely, (I) Coccacex, (2) Bacteriacer, (3) Spirillacer, (4) Chia mydo-bactetiacese and (5) Beggiatoacer.
That grouping is still maintained by some bacteriologists. Other and additional families have also been suggested. Some species pathogenic. Some bacteria already localized are B. aerophilum, B. oicaligests, B. unthracis, also known as the microseira comma bacillar, the cause of anthrax, or splenic fever, B. clots. B. coscoroba, B. soli coninessnis, under certain conditions pathogenic, one of the widely disseminated microbes, B. commusior, B. cid tictslaris sporogenes. B. diphtheria. B. tosseritidis B. orogenes in sewage, B. islisetisa, B. leprot, Perlis, causing Bubonic plague, B. prodsglo sus. B. riumiriatus, B. salmon(, causing hog cholera, B. shiga. found in cases of diarrhea, dysentery and cholera infantum, B. simples, B. streptococci. B B. tuberculosis, B. toonstscesu, B typhossis. B. uwIclui. Al. ogilis, P. rositbfbti, B vesiculosi and others.
Nearly all of these subsist in natural and polluted waters and increase rapidly under favorable conditions Thousands of s-me of them base been found in a single cubic enti meter of raw water. They are found in natural, unpolluted pools, brooks and ponds in rural and even in mountain regions. From official reports it may be seen how prevalent they are in nearly all waters and the processes that are being adopted to eliminate or destroy them. Some of these will be considered in this article. In 1906, S. D. Gage concluded that they propagate more rapidly in warm weather than they do in cold weather. Millions of some species have been found in a cubic centimeter of sewage, thus showing the danger of pollution therefrom.
In addition to the bacteria proper are the in numerable micro-organisms, comprising both animal and vegetative growths in drinking water. Prof. George C'. Whipple has de scribed and enumerated in his 'Microscopy of Drinking Water' 200 or more of such species. He has classified vegetative organisms into such groups as (1) Diatomaceie. (2) Schiz ophyeez, comprising Schizomycetes and Cy anophycea, (3) Alga, (4) Fungi and (5) vari ous higher plants. Under Diatomacese is the species Asterionella, which infested Mount Prospect reservoir in Brooklyn in 1897 and ne cessitated its non-use until they could be re moved.
He has classified the animal micro-organ isms into (1) Protozoa, comprising rhizopoda, mastigophora (flagellata), and infusoria; (2) Rotifera; (3) Crustacea, comprising entomo strata; (4) Bryozoa; (5) Spongiche, and (6) various higher animals.
Other sanitary engineers, biologists and bac teriologists have localized and classified other species, of which these may be legion. Some
of these have been studied and subjected to various tests to determine their characteristics and their effect upon water and water supplies. Some live but a short time, while others live for days, weeks and even months. Some after brief existence die and impart a disagreeable taste or an offensive odor to water. Some genera arc pathogenic, that is they produce disease in human beings and other genera are harmless, so far as known at the present time.
Prescott and Winslow in their 'Elements of Water Bacteriology' describe still other char acteristics of some 'of the countless colonies of animalcula infesting the surface and ground waters of the earth. Bacteria are found in shallow wells and even in deep well waters. Prescott and Winslow found them in deep wells and springs in Worcester, Waltham, Hyde Park. Mass., in Newport, R. 1., and at Saranac Lake, N. Y. They have been found in well waters at Mainz, 1.eitmeritz and Kiel in Germany and elsewhere. Quantitative bac teriological examinations and the microscope ri arc now revealing bacteria in many waters not detected by any of the tests formerly applied, and that may account for the failure to discover them. Consequently bacteria in ground waters escape detection and such waters were formerly considered pure and wholesome. "Even rain and slam," say Prescott and Win slow in their 'Elements of Water Bacteriology,' •arc by no means free from germs, but con tain them according to the amount of dust present in the air at the time of the precipita nun. . . . Janowski, in le&q, found in freshly Inlien snow from 34 to 463 bacteria per cubic centimeter of snow w att r . It is afecult to find a river in inhabited regions, which does not contain several hundred or thousands of bacteria to the cubic centimeter.• In ground waters are found such micro scope organisms as crow/Iris, cladothrox, lepo tiros, asterioneUa, aucsrobia and typhoid bac teria. The latter wefe reported as occurring in some ground waters in Germany, probably due to surface pollution. Still many communities obtain their supply from surface waters such as springs, streams, rivers, ponds and lakes, all of which are fed primarily by the waters and snows, precipitated over the earth's surface to the extent already shown. Most of said waters are consumed in their natural state without purification by filtration, sterilization or other wise. As already stated, it is a well-known fact that most surface waters are unsafe for potable uses. Such waters are frequently pol luted by the inflow of sewage and become the purseyors of deadly organisms.