150 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



London suffers immeasurably from the pent-up sewer gas, which, under its 

 system of collection and storage, inevitably accumulates in the reservoirs and pipes, 

 and pushes its way with overpowering force through almost every obstacle pre- 

 sented by engineers and plumbers, so that the problem of rendering a dwelling 

 house proof against it is one of no easy solution. 



Mr. Geo. E. Waring, the well known sanitary engineer, proposes separate 

 conductors or sewers for the removal of the natural or land and surface waters, 

 and for the removal of the artificial or house and soil drainage of cities. He also 

 recommends the system of "pipe drainage" now in use at Memphis, the leading 

 principles being "the restriction of the size of the sewers to a capacity barely 

 sufficient to carry the greatest flow of the day when running half-full; the most 

 complete and thorough ventilation of every part of the sewer ; and its thorough 

 washing, from end to end, at least once in twenty-four hours, by a suddenly dis- 

 charged volume of clean water sufficient to carry forward, at least to a point where 

 the constant flow is sufficient to keep them in motion, all solid substances deliver- 

 ed to the sewer by its tributary house drains, so that nothing of a putrescible 

 character shall remain in the -sewer long enough for its decomposition even to 

 begin." This plan has succeeded admirably in Memphis, entirely preventing the 

 formation of sewer gas in the pipes, even in the hottest weather. 



In Baltimore all of the rainfall is removed by surface gutters, the experience of 

 the people having demonstrated effectually the importance of retaining it upon 

 the streets for cleansing purposes. The same plan might prove effectual in Kan- 

 sas City, if our streets were properly paved, since the topography of the two 

 cities is somewhat similar and our spring and summer rains are so copious as to 

 insure perfect cleansing with every shower. 



We are then fortunately able to adopt the Memphis plan for our sewers and 

 house drains, and the Baltimore plan for the removal of the clean surface water 

 or rainfall, with the beneficial effect of washing off our streets at the same time. 



All this is common sense sanitation, and if such simple plans as these are 

 adopted for the personal, household and municipal cleanliness of our city there 

 need be little fear of pestilence. 



INSTINCT AS A GUIDE IN DIETETICS. 



"Instinct," as Falstaff says, " is a great matter; " and it is curious and in- 

 structive to note how, in the absence of scientific knowledge, it has guided the 

 human race in the selection and preparation of their food as well as such knowl- 

 edge could have guided them, and in some cases even better. It has sometimes 

 been right when science for the time was wrong, and the latter has eventually 

 had to acknowledge the mistake it had made. It is not many years since the dis- 

 covery was announced that the bran of wheat had a high nutritive value, and 

 forthwith we were admonished by dietetic reformers that fine wheaten bread was 



