158 MR. J. P. JOULE ON THE UTILIZATION OF THE 
some. By the present system a large quantity of offal 
and blood is removed from the country, where it would be 
a valuable manure, to the town, where it is a dangerous 
nuisance. 
I may mention in this place the subject of intramural 
interments, which even at the present day have not been 
entirely discontinued. Tens of thousands of human bodies 
in a disintegrated and decomposed state have floated 
down the sewers of London into the Thames. ‘The 
drainage of burial grounds into sewers is, in fact, enjoined 
by act of parliament. Now the body of any human being 
after death ought, in accordance with the Divine ordinance, 
to be permitted to return to the dust whence it came. For 
this purpose metallic coffins are unsuitable; and the body 
should be placed at a moderate depth below a soil on 
which there is a vegetable growth. I cannot enter into 
details on this highly important subject, but I am satisfied 
that the object of rapid conversion into vegetable life may 
be attained without in the least degree hurting, but rather 
subserving, those feelings of affection and reverence with 
which we regard the dead. 
After prohibiting the unnecessary introduction of or- 
ganic matter, the next step will be to deal with the sewage 
proper. And here we find at the outset that the enormous 
quantity of water mixed with it in the drains prevents the 
possibility of using it in that state for agricultural purposes. 
Messrs. Bidder, Hawksley and Bazalgette, among other 
objections, come to the following conclusions in their 
Report. First: “That the fertilizing properties of the 
organic matters contained in town refuse are for the most 
part destroyed by the long continued action of water.” 
Second: ‘‘That the cost and difficulties attending the ap- 
plication of liquid sewage in large quantities are absolutely 
prohibitory of its use.” Third: “‘ That liquid sewage can- 
not m general be used with advantage in this climate, 
ee 
ees 
