HO USE-DRAIN A GE. 315 



interior of tlie body througli a wound of any kind ; although tliey 

 may be inhaled or swallowed with comparative impunity. These 

 are especially dangerous to new-born infants and to lying-in 

 women, as well as to wounded persons. From my personal expe- 

 rience I should say that the forms of disease most frequently pro- 

 duced by sewer and soil-pipe air with its contained bacteria are 

 slight inflammations of the throat, tonsillitis, and mild diarrhoeal 

 troubles. 



It will be seen, therefore, that while attempts to scare peoi^le 

 by depicting the horrors of sewer-gas, etc., in order to prevent the 

 construction of sewers, to j)romote the sale of certain fixtures, or to 

 improve the house-inspection business are not justifiable, it is cer- 

 tainly true that, upon ordinary insurance principles, it is wise to 

 prevent as far as possible the entrance of sewer and soil-pipe air 

 into dwelling-houses, offices, hospitals, and public buildings ; and 

 that a municipality is justified in taking measures to secure such 

 prevention for those who are too ignorant, too indifferent, or too 

 helpless to do it for themselves. 



To provide, in an ordinary dwelling-house, a system of pipes 

 and fixtures though which will quickly pass away all excreta and 

 water rendered foul by use in closets, sinks, wash-basins, baths, 

 etc., while the passage of gases and odors from the pipes into the 

 house is prevented, and liability to obstruction of the pipes is as 

 small as possible, is not now a very difficult matter under ordi- 

 nary circumstances. 



The differences of opinion as to the best modes of doing this, 

 which are found in the writings of sanitarians, sanitary engineers, 

 plumbers, etc., and which appear so confusing to one who is not 

 familiar with the subject, are largely due to the fact that the 

 different writers and speakers consider the matter from very dif- 

 ferent points of view ; and it may be well, therefore, to refer to 

 some of these which have the greatest influence in determining 

 opinions. 



The first point of view to be considered is that of the man who 

 proposes to build a house for his own family, and who wants to 

 know how he can secure, at a reasonable cost, a convenient and 

 safe system for the removal of excreta and wastes. 



If he employs an architect to prepare the plans and specifica- 

 tions for his house, the first suggestion would naturally be that 

 the same architect should prepare the plans and specifications for 

 the plumbing. It is, however, asserted by sanitary inspectors, 

 physicians, plumbers, and popular writers, that architects do not, 

 as a rule, furnish proper plans and specifications for house-drain- 

 age ; that many of them are not competent to do it, and the rest 

 will not take the trouble ; and that to make sure of good results 

 an expert in this particular line must be called in. 



