Approximately four fifths of the human body consists of liquids, of which over 60 per cent is water. This fact suggests the importance of sup plying drinking water of the best quality.
We most localities it is not necessary to dig more than 20 or 30 feet to strike running water. Water accumulates in wells from under ground streams percolating through the soil. Soils often lie in layers, a layer of sandy soil sometimes occur ring between two layers of clay or gravel in such a way as to convey contamination from cesspools, drains, and other decaying organic matter from long distances. More often, wells are contaminated by surface water washing into them. The best way to line a well is with large tiles or tile piping. A heavy tight-fitting stone laid over the mouth of the well will keep out small animals and pre vent angleworms, dead leaves, and other organic matter from being car ried into the well by surface leach ing.
Well Water usually contains min eral impurities that percolate through the soil, and is often contaminated by angleworms, snakes, toads, and other small animals falling into the well. The skeletons of these animals are not infrequently found at the bottom of old wells when cleaning. Wells are especially liable to contamination through drains and sewers.
Water from Rivers is less pure than good spring water. It usually contains mud and other organic mat ter in suspension, and is often con taminated by drains, stables, sewage, etc.
Spring Water is usually pure and good for drinking water, but it often contains minerals in solution, and is then known as hard water. A spring intended to be a source of water sup ply should be tested by chemical anal ysis.
Rain Water, when properly col lected at a distance from large towns, is pure and soft. In towns it is often contaminated by smoke and fumes in the atmosphere. Cistern water in towns and cities should be filtered and boiled for drinking pur poses.
Snow Water from clean snow, melt ed, is the purest form of natural water.
To Soften Water. — Boiling hard water from twenty to thirty minutes is the best way to soften it for drink ing purposes. This also has the ef
fect of killing all germs of disease it may contain. Carbonic-acid gas pass es off with the steam, and carbonate of lime is left as a sediment. A clean oyster shell put in the tea kettle will attract this and other sediments that are deposited from boiling water, and will thus prevent an unpleasant crust from gathering on the inside of the tea kettle.
Or baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) in small quantities will soften hard water by removing the excess of lime.
Or, for the laundry, hard water may be softened by the addition of a little borax. And this does not make water objectionable for cooking pur poses.
Or quicklime is also recommended. Dissolve ounce in 10 quarts of water, and pour this solution into a barrel of hard water. The whole, will be softened.
To Make Boiled Water More Pal atable.—The flat taste of boiled water is objectionable to many. This may be obviated by pouring the water rap idly from one pitcher to another, hold ing the two pitchers some distance apart. This process aerates the water, renders it sparkling, and restores its natural flavor. A few drops of lemon juice contribute to this effect.
To Keep Water Cool without Joe. —In summer or in warm climates drinking water may be kept in un glazed earthenware pitchers. Wrap several folds of cheese cloth around the outside of the pitcher. Keep these constantly wet and place the pitcher in a draught. The evaporation of the moisture from the cheese cloth tends to cool the contents of the pitcher.
To Test Water.—Fill a number of tumblers half full of the suspected water, and employ the following tests: To test for lime, use a small quan tity of oxalic acid. The lime will be revealed in a white precipitate.
To test for carbonate of iron, use a tincture of galls. This will yield a black precipitate.
To test for vegetable and animal matter, use a small quantity of sul phuric acid. The water will become black.
To test for copper, dip a penknife in the water. The copper will be de posited in a yellow coating.