Walter.] hiZ [Dec. 17, 



Discussion. 



Mr. Walter remarked that he considered the imperfect construction of 

 ewers, cess-pools and traps connected with sinks and water-closets as 

 the great source of many of our worst diseases. We have, it is true, a 

 very general under-ground drainage throughout our city, but that is not 

 all we need ; our sewers and ducts may all be well enough, as far 

 as they go, but unless it is rendered absolutely impossible for the foul 

 air they contain being forced back, through imperfect traps, into our 

 dwellings, we had better have no underground drainage at all. 



Carelessly-jointed pipes, inferior fittings, badly-constructed traps, and 

 unventilated soil pipes cannot fail to admit the sewer gas into our houses, 

 which becomes a prolific source of disease and death. Pipes which drain 

 bath-tubs and washstands are often introduced into soil pipes without 

 trapping, and thus become conduits to convey the worst of sewer gases 

 into our chambers ; and even when such pipes are trapped the work is so 

 unskillfully done as to render the traps liable to be siphoned out by de- 

 scending water from above. He stated that he had a case of this kind to 

 happen in a house of his own, where the plumbing was admirably done — 

 it was an oversight, soon corrected, but there should be no oversights 

 in the plumbing of a house. jSTothing about house-building demands our 

 consideration more seriously than the work of the plumber. 



Another evil exists in the imperfect construction of sewers, and a want 

 of skill in their design and location. Many sewers discharged into tide- 

 water with their openings so much depressed as to bring the top below 

 high tide ; this causes a flow when the tide is up, which forces the air 

 back through traps and cess-pools with great power, and if sufficient 

 vent is not found the sewer will rupture in its weakest spot. He re- 

 marked that he knew of a case of this kind, where the water and filth 

 were forced several feet above the pavement — nothing will make a 

 sewer so located safe, but an ample ventilating shaft, properly con- 

 structed. 



Besides these sources of disease and discomfort there are others, many 

 of which were alluded to in the interesting paper just read to the Society 

 by Dr. Blazius. This subject may well engage the most careful 

 study of the scientist. 



Dr. Horn said : 



While there are atmospheric influences affecting the health of the 

 masses generally, in cities, which are at times troublesome or next to im- 

 possible to obviate, there are causes within the dwellings of our population 

 no less potent, and which are entirely within our control. 



It has been noticed by many not members of the medical profession 

 that typhoid fever, scarlatina and diphtheria prevail with great frequency 

 among the better classes of our population (especially typhoid fever); 

 and to such an extent has this prevailed that scarcely a family is found in 



