Trivia Junction

A Compendium of trivia I find interesting
...for the curious

Is the water safe?

After a recent ban on drinking tap water in some parts of the country, this is a question on the minds of many. But 97 years ago, Americans were asking, “Is the drinking cup safe?”

For centuries, it was the practice to drink from a common cup attached by a chain to a fountain, well or cistern. Dr. Samuel Crumbine was convinced that tuberculosis and other deadly diseases could be passed by sharing cups.

Crumbine took his campaign to the Kansas state Legislature. On Sept. 1, 1909, Kansas became the first state to ban shared drinking cups. After passage of the law, people began carrying their own cups, which of course was often cumbersome.

A colleague of Crumbine's, Hugh Moore, came to the rescue. He manufactured paper cups that were known as Individual Drinking Cups. With the adoption of the new health laws, the company changed the product name to Health Kup. In 1919, the name was again changed to Dixie Cup.

The move to individual cups had a dramatic impact on decreasing contagious diseases in America. Crumbine, who started as a humble country doctor, was a major force in the development of public health laws. He was instrumental in forcing pharmaceutical companies to test drugs and prove their effectiveness.

Crumbine also is credited with helping promote the use of fly swatters, which a century ago were a mainline defense in the spread of disease.

Fast forward to today's question, “Is the water safe?” I am not an authority on water, but I do know something that will make it taste better. In Mexico and Latin America, fruit-flavored waters, known as aguas, are a popular hot-weather refreshment. For the drink's base, you can use tap water or bottled water – whichever your conscience dictates.

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