May 15, 1S85.] 



• KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



41:{ 



recollection of tho joyous speeil tuaiutained for the best 

 jiftrt of the W!iy witli the greatest ease, tho beautiful, 

 varied, and rapidly-changing scenery through which 1 

 passed, across Surrey commons and over Sussex downs, 

 through two quaint and picturesque old towns, three seaside 

 watering-places, and a beautiful cathedral city, as well as 

 for miles along the margin of the sea, has again quickened 

 my pulse, and set my heart longing for another day which 

 shall be its pai-allel, for I cannot hope to eclipse it. Faster 

 and fartlier in a day I may ride, but with a keener, a more 

 rapturovis, feeling of enjoyment — never ! 



CHAPTERS OX MODERN DOMESTIC 

 ECONOMY. 



XXVII.— THE FRAMEWORK OF THE DWELLING-HOUSE. 

 STRCCTUKAL E.XAMPLKS (cOUtimied) . 



THE DISPOSAL OF HOUSEHOLD REFUSE. 



TN our twenty-fifth paper* we had occasion to draw 

 attention to, perhaps, the most defective form of 

 frequent occurrence in the furniture of hydraulic apparatuf, 

 »-iz., the pan closet and D trap, and to point out one or two 

 ways by which the evils that arise therefrom can be cor- 

 rected. The Pan Closet, however, is by no means the only 

 kind of appliance to be guarded against in the choice of a 

 healthy abode. There is another type, known as the 

 " Valve Closet," which is prone to become almost as ob- 

 noxious within the dwelling-house ; but here there is a 

 range from decided unwholesomeness to perfect efficiency 

 in its mechanism, and a little caution must hence be exer- 

 cised during an inspection. We shall, therefore, give a 

 brief outline of what may not inaptly be compared to a 

 disease, its diagnosis, and treatment. 



The basin of the valve closet is generally bowl-shaped, 

 and can thus be detected and distinguished at a glance 

 from the conical basin of the pan closet. Its outlet, at the 

 lowest part of the basin, opens into a box called the con- 

 ductor or valve-box, the orifice being closed by means of a 

 water-tight valve, which can be made to move to and fro 

 within the valve-box, by the action of the pull-up handle. 

 The result of this is that, upon driving the handle down, 

 the bottom of the basin is closed, and the last flow of water 

 from the supply-pipe rests at the bottom of the basin and 

 forms a water-seal. In case of accident, such as the dis- 

 charge of an excess of water, or a trickling down of water 

 through a defect in the cistern or supply-pipe, the basin 

 is provided with an overflow-pipe, which last has a 

 U-shaped bend on it, and opens into the side of 

 the valve-box. The valve-box is in direct communi- 

 cation with a dip trap below, from whence the waste 

 matters are driven into the soil-pipe. Now, the chief 

 defect in this class of closets lies in the overflow-pipe. 

 When the pull-up handle is used, the sudden fall of the 

 water from the basin into the trap beneath is often sufli- 

 cient, by the time the valve is replaced, to unsyphon the 

 water in the overflow-pipe, which thus remains empty, 

 and affords a patent passage for foul air from the valve-box 

 into the room. Another serious evil is to be apprehended 

 when the overflow-pipe opens into the valve-box in front 

 of the valve, instead of behind it ; for then, when the con- 

 tents of the basin are ejected, a small proportion is always 

 liable to enter the overflow-pipe, and decompose within its 

 U-shaped bend. 



After all, it may be argued, the defects of the Valve are 

 so trivial when compared with the Pan type, that they are 



* See this Joamal, Hay 1, 1885, p. 375. 



scarcely worth while the trouble of investigation ; but it 

 must bo borne in mind that, in these matters the magnitude 

 of the error has but little w(>ight where disease-germs 

 influence tho scale. Hence it is obvicus that som>-ihing 

 must be done to enable tho overflow i>ipo to fulfil its 

 functions jierfcctly. One cure is to plug up the overflow- 

 pipe, and thus prevent its action altogether ; by this means, 

 when any accident occurs, the water will 11' w over the tup of 

 tho basin, which should tlum be lipped to direct the overflow 

 into the "safe" beneath the closet, and from thence through 

 a warning-pipe into the open air. The overflow may with 

 advantage be disconnected from the valvebox anil made 

 to di-scharge directly into the s ife, or into the open aii-. 

 But two otiier methods are more usually employed : one is 

 to see that tho ovei flow-pipe opens into the valve-box 

 behind the valve, and to ventilate the valve-box by means 

 of a pipe through the wall into the open air away from the 

 vicinity of windows ; the other consists in the adiiitiun of 

 a small branch-pipe, generally called a service-iiipe, to the 

 supply-pipe, which leads to the overfl.iw inimidiately above 

 its bend, and thus causes it to be replenished with fresh 

 water every time that the handle is pulled up. 



Such, then, are the errors of coiistruction in an ordinary 

 valve closet, and the ready expedients to be adopted in 

 case of necessity ; but, as we have already suited, valve 

 closets of good form may be employed with absolute 

 safety. Perhaps the best one as yet introduced into the 

 market, and which does not seem to be CHpaV)le of any 

 further improvement, is the "Lambeth Valve Clo.-et," as 

 manufactured by Messrs. Doulton & Co. Our foregoing 

 okservations, as well as the following explanaticjn, will be 

 more readily understood by a reference to the sulijoined 

 figure (Fig. 27). It may be as well in this j)lace to note 

 some of the extra advantages to be gained by the adoption 



"xs:**^;^!-' fil^^^m 





f:-;VL,'-:MC ii f" „-l '?:■-■-. 



riiit^R^""--iln 





— ii*5r 'iisliiii* 





Fig. 27.— Tlio Lambeth Valve Closet. 



of this useful invention. The entire structure is so made 

 as to be self contained— that is to .say, it requires but two 

 joints to fit it into its (ilace within the house— one to the 

 soil-pipe, and the other to the water supply ; by this 

 means the expense of cutting away the floors, trironiing 

 joists, &c , is entirely dispensed with, and much otherwise 

 necessary labour saved. 



The basin, C, is provided with a flushing rim, D, and 

 is so constructed as to ensure thorough cleansing with 

 each discharge of water. The valve is coated with an 

 earthenware facing, which thus contributes very largely 

 to cleanliness. The water is supplied through B, which 



