Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 August 1876 — Impure Ice. [ARTICLE]

Impure Ice.

The idea that the freezing of water parifles it is very general; but, like many other popular notions, has no good foundation in fact. Of late the attention of many persons has been drawn to the sub-* ject, and some families in Providence have given up the use of ice for drinking. We have seen water from melted ice nrtiristjity whiefr had* bluish, greasy, scum upon it, and an offensive odor when .warned. We have also known of persons, in past years, who were troubled with nausea, depression of spirits, gastric and abdominal pains, which were attributed to the free use of ice water, and

which #easqd when the use of ice waa abandoned. This was in past years, and we have heard nothing similar this year. Whether our ice is different this year from last we do not know. In truth we do not think that any facts, in this city, have been observed with sufficient care and accuracy to justify positive conclusions in relation to the character of the ice we use. In the (Seventh Annual Report of the State Board of Health of Massachusetts, we find an interesting paper by Dr. A. H. Nichols, of Boston, giving an account of an outbreak of a disease caused by impure ice, at Rye 'Beach; - a-popnlar seaside resort in New Hampshire, at the loginning of the season in 1875. Many of the guests in one of the large hotels were taken sick with nausea, giddiness, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and other symptoms, not general, but In ' some cases severe. Dr. Nichols made a thorough investigation, and traced the trouble beyond all doubt to the ice used at the hotel. This conclusion was confirmed tor an examination of the pond from which the ice was taken, and when the use of the ice was abandoned the sickness immediately ceased. The impurity of the water in this case arose from marsh mud and decomp osin sawdust, the pond being small and shal low and with a sawmill above it. The condition of the water waa such that no one Would have been tempted to use it for drinking purposes. This subject has not so far as we know, been extensively investigated; but the report of the sickness at Rye Beach, with the limited experience of others that has come to our knowledge, seems to us to render it certain: 1. That freezing does not, to any extent, remove the impunties from water. 2. That it is advisable to look after the quality of the ice that is furnished us, and to use ice water for drinking purposes with much caution; and 3. That never, in any case, should ice be furnished to the public for general purposes from any river or pond, the water of which is not perfectly safe for domestic use and for drinking* —Providence (R. I.) Journal.