722 



SANITARY SCIENCE. 



cellar, by a vent-pipe, into a chimney. The 

 arrangement at first worked well, but after a 

 time the drain became so choked as to prevent 

 the passage of air into the chimney, and the 

 draught was reversed and the foul air forced 

 out of the plumbing fixtures into the wards. 



Grease in Pipes. Grease in pipes is a serious 

 annoyance to domestics and housekeepers, as 

 it constantly chokes the waste-pipes from 

 kitchen and butler's-pantry sinks. It seems 

 to accumulate faster in large than in small 

 waste-pipes. It also lines the interior of all 

 basin-drains with a slimy coating, which, if not 

 purified by contact with a continuous current 

 of fresh air, decomposes and throws off very 

 offensive odors. Grease-straps on kitchen 

 sinks are desirable adjuncts wherever the ac- 

 cumulation of grease is great, and where they 

 are certain to receive proper attention and to 

 be frequently cleansed; otherwise they are 

 certain to become a nuisance and a possible 

 source of offense. In large houses, hotels, or 

 restaurants, they are very essential, and are a 

 means of great saving in expense. A butler's- 

 pantry waste-pipe is more liable to choke with 

 grease than a kitchen-sink drain, a^the soapy 

 water enters it at a lower temperature than 

 that from the kitchen, which is drawn direct 

 from the boiler ; hence a large trap is prefer- 

 able on butler's-pantry sinks. Grease is most- 

 ly found in pipes that receive kitchen- waste; 

 the urine in soil-pipes destroys the grease, or 

 prevents its formation. 



Tests for Plumbing. There are several forms 

 of tests for plumbing when completed, or to 

 detect the defects in existiug work. In new 

 buildings, after the drains are laid, the lower 

 ends can be closed with a plug, and the pipes 

 filled with water up to a given point, say to 

 the basement-floor. This is allowed to remain 

 for some time, and, if the water-level is main- 

 tained at the surface, it is taken as a proof that 

 the joints are tight. Very hot water is used 

 in such cases, and the test is found to be reli- 

 able. Under such a trial, a drain that is appar- 

 ently securely laid with well-calked joints may 

 leak at every length. Another test, having the 

 same object in view, is to close all openings, 

 both above and below, in the entire drainage 

 system, and apply pressure from an air-pump, 

 as is common in testing gas-fittings. A third 

 test is made with smoke, which is forced into 

 the pipes under pressure, by means of an as- 

 phyxiator. The vapor of burning sulphur is 

 used for this purpose, and the presence of a 

 leak will be quickly detected. A simpler and 

 more common method, which is frequently em- 

 ployed to detect sewer-gas leaks, is to pour an 

 ounce or two of oil of peppermint, usually fol- 

 lowed by a gallon or so of boiling water, into 

 the upper end of a soil or waste pipe, which 

 is then closed with a wad of cloth or paper, 

 when the-pungent vapor from the fluid will be 

 diffused throughout the drainage system and 

 penetrate through the minutest leaks. Oil of 

 valerian and paraffine are also used for this pur- 



pose, and tests of this kind are constantly em- 

 ployed with excellent practical results. 



Cess-pools. In the case of country bouses 

 that drain into cess-pools instead of sewers, 

 the same arrangements are made as in city 

 dwellings, with the exception that provision 

 must be supplied for ventilating the tess-pool 

 and for removing its contents. Most cess-pools 

 are not ventilated at all, and of necessity the 

 foul air that is displaced by every discharge into 

 them must find its way back into the house. 

 They are the source of much illness in rural sec- 

 tions and in unsewered towns. The old meth- 

 od of constructing these "soak-pits" roughly 

 out of boards or uncemented stone is objec- 

 tionable. A leaching cess-pool is a constant 

 source of danger ; no matter how porous the 

 soil may be, it is almost certain in time to 

 become saturated, and will no longer absorb 

 the sewage, while the foul odors will pene- 

 trate through the soil into adjacent dwellings. 

 Cleaning them is expensive and annoying, and 

 even then the filth-coated sides evolve offen- 

 sive and dangerous gases. Every cess-pool 

 should be as small as possible; it should be 

 absolutely tight, thoroughly ventilated, and 

 frequently emptied. The overflow should be 

 to a point where it can do no harm. Yet, 

 even at the best, any cess-pool is a source of 

 danger, and should be abolished if practicable. 



No tight cess-pool will permanently resist 

 the action of frost on the brickwork and ce- 

 ment, while a lining of wood will rot and leak 

 at the joints. Such receptacles are usually 

 built by country masons, who are not skilled, 

 and the work is often done carelessly. In time 

 of drought, the most tightly cemented cess-pool 

 will be apt to leach into the adjacent soil. A 

 prominent builder of half a century's experi- 

 ence declares that he has never known an ab- 

 solutely tight cess-pool. 



Substitutes for Cess-pools. The two most prac- 

 ticable substitutes for cess-pools are the earth- 

 closet and the sub - irrigation system. The 

 former was employed in ancient times, and in 

 its chief features is recommended in the Mo- 

 saic creed. It was first recommended for mod- 

 ern use by the Kev. Mr. Moule, an Englishman, 

 and it has been extensively introduced with 

 excellent results. Its simplicity, economy, and 

 convenience are readily apparent. Its features 

 are briefly as follows : A cemented box or vault 

 which can be readily cleaned or removed, with 

 a supply of dry earth or sifted ashes say a 

 barrelful for an ordinary household a por- 

 tion of which is daily deposited over the con- 

 tents of the vault. The effect of this slight 

 covering is to deodorize the material, absorb all 

 liquids, and render the whole innoxious, as 

 well as to preserve its full value as manure. 

 There is thus no waste in economy, no risk to 

 health, and no source of offense to the senses. 

 If the earth-closet is situated conveniently yet 

 not too near to living-rooms, and is promptly 

 cleaned, it is a wholesome arrangement in pri- 

 vate dwellings. In schools or institutions, or 



