24 



Now any one can see that great evils may arise from dampness in 

 buildings, and to overcome this is sometimes one of the hardest 

 works a builder encounters. Where possible to do without, it is 

 far wiser not to connect any drain from the inside of the cellar 

 with the main sewer, but where absolutely necessary great care 

 should be exercised, each joint should be made water and stench 

 proof, and each drain should be trapped. Now, dampness usually 

 shews itself in the cellar walls, and may be caused by damp earth 

 surrounding, or by negligence at the time of building, in diverting 

 the old land drains. If these laud drains are not diverted when 

 cut off by the operation of laying the foundations, then they be- 

 come a source of great trouble hereafter and the work of diversion 

 is often very expensive. Fig. 6 shews how this is to be accom- 

 plished, being a section of the drain. It will be seea that the 

 cutting is carried down 12 ins. or 18 ins. below the foundations 

 of the house ; at the bottom of this cutting and half embedded 

 in soft clay A is laid a 6 in. pipe B with open or loose joints; 

 on the upper side of this pipe is laid a course of broken stone C 

 loosely packed together, the remainder of the cutting is filled up 

 as usual, but every 5 or 6 feet a square chamber, called a weep- 

 hole is formed, see Fig. 6*-, and this is filled up to about a foot 

 of the surface of the ground with broken stone D and is shot off 

 obliciuely, E, against the walls of the house to take away all rain 

 water discharged against the house. If in laying a drain of this 

 kind the workman finds a subsoil drain F, Fig. 6, one of these 

 square chambers should be formed at the end of it to conduct 

 the water to the sewer at the bottom. 



Of course to carry out all these details of ventilation and drain- 

 age, &c., involves an increased cost in construction of properties, 

 but common humanity demands that aU shall be done that is 

 possible to avert sickness and prolong life, and it is the first 

 duty of eveiy Sanitary Authority to see that a code of laws is 

 formed enforcing the best sanitary appliances being employed. 

 Not only so, but thorough systems of sewerage ventilation should 

 be carried out by every Sanitary Authority, as money spent on 

 such works is bound to yield a rate of interest that cannot be 

 calculated by any percentage, viz. prolonged life and greatly 

 reduced death rates. These are the primary objects of the San- 

 itary Authority, and consequently too much cannot be said in 

 condemnation of any laxity in carrying out such works as may 

 be necessary for attaining the desired end. 



It is time that the elements of true sanitation began to be 

 more fully taught, especially in the National Schools, for surely 

 in this age of enquiry and education, no enquiry can be more 

 interesting or remunerative than the study of general health 

 which in time means, general happiness, longer life, and increased 

 comfort. 



