468 Toum Sewage. 



Works for the concession of tlie southern sewage of the Metro- 

 polis it is stated that the excretal matters sell in 



Belgium for over 11. per person per annum." 



There is no doubt that in some parts of Belgium the solid, 

 and a portion of the fluid excrements of the town populations 

 are collected, as free as possible from extraneous water, in 

 receptacles of more or less perfect construction, and periodically 

 removed for application to the land, and that the land so 

 fertilised is very productive. From observation and inquiry 

 made in some of the towns in question, it may, however, be 

 safely affirmed, that the practices adopted are attended with 

 more nuisance and discomfort than would be permitted in this 

 country ; that a considerable portion of the urine escapes, and 

 that in no case did the town population realise a return which 

 averaged 1 franc per head per annum. 



This estimate of money-value is confirmed by a Prussian 

 Commission, which, after visiting Ghent, Ostend, and Antwerp, 

 and likewise Hanover, Cologne, Metz, Carlsruhe, Strasburg, 

 Basle, Lyons, Zurich, Munich, Nuremberg, Dresden, and 

 Leipzig, made a report which shows not only that the house- 

 holders seldom realised anything like a franc per head per 

 annum, but that in most cases it cost them something for the 

 removal. 



Nevertheless, the Commissioners, looking to the local cir- 

 cumstances of Berlin, and to the results of the water-system in 

 this country hitherto, recommend the use of such a barrel as 

 two men can carry, placed at the bottom of a shaft leading from 

 the closets, which, when removed, is covered with a close- 

 fitting lid ; they anticipate little nuisance or discomfort, and 

 little profit, but hope by these means to secure much valuable 

 manure in an available form. 



In addition to this foreign evidence, it may be well to mention 

 two attempts made in England to obviate the use of water, and 

 thereby to procure a concentrated dry and portable manure. 



Perhaps the most noticeable attempt is that which has been 

 made at Hyde, in Lancashire, a manufacturing town of more than 

 20,000 inhabitants. Some few years ago a company contracted 

 to carry out here what they call the " Eureka system." They , 

 provided boxes (supplied with some disinfecting or deodorising 

 mixture, to be fitted in at the back of the closet) for nearly every 

 house, leaving scarcely a water-closet in the place. The box, 

 which is to be reserved strictly for its proper use, is exchanged for 

 a fresh one after a certain number of days. When removed, 

 it is covered with a closely-fitting lid, and so transported in a 

 closed van to a manure manufactory close to the town. Here 

 the matters are first Avell mixed, and then strained to remove 



