xliii 



I should have included the death- rates of these centres of population 

 for the succeeding years if the Registrar-General's reports had been in 

 the Parliamentary Library. 



In case of epidemic raising, there can be no doubt but that a 

 system of drainage to which all the closets of the city are con- 

 nected is a most favourable condition to its rapid spread. We 

 again bring forward trough-closeted Liverpool as an example. When 

 small-pox had become rife in London and Liverpool inl872, it 

 became certain that Manchester would not escape, as the intercourse 

 With Liverpool especially was constant and active. The City Council 

 then issued printed instructions to 19 sanitary inspectors, and I copy 

 the] following as instructions Nos. 2 and 3 : — 



2. "He shall represent to the inhabitants of each house that small- 

 Pox has for many months past been exceedingly prevalent and fatal in 

 London, and Liverpool, and in several other large cities and towns ; 

 that during the week ending Saturday, May the 20th, the deaths from 

 small-pox were in London 267, in Liverpool 50, in Newcastle 14, and 

 ta Manchester 10. That the annual death-rate from small-pox in 

 ■Liverpool is equal to 5 out of every 1000 persons living in Liverpool. 

 . 3. "He shall also represent to them that small-pox is rapidly 

 increasing in Manchester and Salford, owing partly to the infection 

 being brought from Liverpool, and partly to the spread of infection 

 trom persons already suffering from small-pox in Manchester and 

 isalford ; and that unless measures are taken to check the spread of 

 the infection it is likely to be as bad, that is, as prevalent and fatal 

 *n Manchester as it is in Liverpool and London." The Liverpool 

 system of soil pipes again stands condemned. Had Liverpool been 

 turnished with dry closets in place of waterclosets it is probable that 

 neither Liverpool nor Manchester would have suffered so severely 

 trom epidemic. In the latter city, where dry closets were adopted, 

 the spread of small-pox was rapidly and efficiently checked. 



It is a patent fact that the general public are perceiving the dry 

 closet to be the natural process to be adopted, and if those who have 

 su ch dry closets and do not burn coal could be by law compelled to use 

 ashes, or other material as an absorbent, there would be an end to all 

 nuisance from the closet. A small amount of ashes or dry earth 

 Jyill completely deodorize and absorb the moisture in the pail, and 

 this may be dried and usad over and over again if necessary. The pail 

 eannot be used to contain all the slops of a household, but these may be 

 Profitably carried into gardens or orchards by a system of sub-irrigation 

 carried out on a small scale. The slops should be led from the house 

 to the garden through a water-tight pipe, and from it three or four 

 rows of sub-irrigation drain pipes should be laid about a foot deep in 

 the soil and § of an inch apart. The rows of pipes thus laid should 

 oe used on alternate days, and it would be found that the soil will 

 greedily absorb all the slops of a large house, if this means is adopted. 

 An earthenware (Field's) flushing tank at the house would automatically 

 deliver the slops to the extent of the pipes. This system is thoroughly 

 described in " Our Homes, and how to make them healthy," by 

 yi'^'ey F- Murphy, y. 671., the chapter in question being written by 

 William Eassie, C.E., F.I.S. , F.G-.S.,etc. A small drainage scheme of this 

 nature was carried out by Mr. Bailey Denton for 13 houses, a mansion, 

 Tk - a ^ arm homestead near Leatherhead, Surrey, with great success, 

 •the irrigated land is in close contiguity to the mansion, but no 

 Msance is experienced from it. Previous to these alterations the 

 'ops decomposed in the neighbouring ditches, and caused considerable 

 wisance. In many cases in this city a rough and ready system of this 

 character is adopted, and serves the purpose admirably, but where the 

 ontour of the ground prevents the adoption of such a method the house 



