DRAINING S. 115 



shown that lime really operates in a very conserva- 

 tive manner upon fresh urine ; for human urine 

 mixed with quicklime possessed, after eight weeks' 

 preservation, no disagreeable or pungent odor, whilst 

 another quantity of the same secretion kept for only 

 eight days, without lime, emitted an extremely pun- 

 gent and disagreeable smell. 



2. Rational Treatment of Drainings. 



The means which must be resorted to, in order to 

 derive the greatest benefit from the employment of 

 drainings, have been, in great part, incidentally men- 

 tioned in the preceding chapter, when considering 

 the constituents of urine, and the changes which it 

 undergoes during putrefaction. Hence it will only 

 be necessary to refer the reader to these observations, 

 and to add a few practical remarks upon matters of 

 detail. 



1. That the preparation of a good receptacle for the 

 drainings must be the first step towards their care- 

 ful employment, is self-evident ; for if they can ooze 

 away, escape by evaporation, or be washed away by 

 heavy showers, not merely their separate manuring 

 elements, but all will be lost. The requisitions here 

 necessary are the following: — 1st. That the recepta- 

 cle be water-tight. This is most certainly attained 

 by lining the interior with hydraulic cement, or by a 

 thorough fitting together of the planks, in the event 

 of its being constructed of wood, and by firmly pud- 

 dling a stiff layer, at least a foot in depth, of clay or 



