194) Air and Water Poisoning 



this, continues the practice, and refuses or evades his share 

 of the expense. And if the landlord undertakes the 

 responsibility of emptying, it too often happens, in addition 

 to the above evils, that the matter is allowed to rest until 

 to wait another day would be to risk an indictment. In 

 the mean time children die off by scores, or grow up hope- 

 less invalids, while adults are lucky if they escape with the 

 gradual undermining of their health and strength, and 

 people wonder that such things are. 



Still the question will be repeated : '• Would you counsel 

 the issue of permission to discharge chamber slops into the 

 street gutters ? " I unhesitatingly reply : " Yes, at least 

 until we have underground sewers." Urine itself contains a 

 ferment which very speedily promotes the transformation 

 of its principal constituents into two innoxious gases — 

 ammonia and carbonic acid. The evolution of these gases 

 during the change is certainly offensive, chiefly because 

 other odorous matters are vapourised with them. Witness 

 the smell of a stable (that from carnivorous animals is much 

 worse.) That this soon goes off, and is not perceptible when 

 the liquid is much diluted, as chamber slops always are. As 

 it is, much of this finds its way into the gutters, as, regula- 

 tions notwithstanding, no one who understands anything 

 of the matter and cares for his family's health would allow 

 slops of this kind to be thrown into the cess-pit. Yet the 

 smell is never noticeable except in the vicinity of a public 

 urinal, and not then if there is a moderate supply of water. 

 •Although the change takes place very soon the rapid flow of 

 our gutters would often carry it out of sight and out of 

 mind before it became offensive, and if it did not, we have 

 comfort in the fact that after the transformation has taken 

 place there is very little further putrefactive change. Of 

 course it would be better if the liquid could be got rid of 

 by putting it out of view altogether. But this attempt to 

 do so by keeping it in cess-pits is a signal failure, and is the 

 cause of the saturation of the ground with liquid excrement, 

 and of the air with the germs of disease. The idea of 

 throwing slops into the street may not be pleasant as an 

 idea, although commonly done without being noticed ; but 

 I would plainly ask : " Is it not better to have the least of two 

 evils than to have both ?" for both we must and do have under 

 existing methods. I would do more than prevent it. I 

 would interdict the other proceeding, and thus reverse the 

 regulations now in force, which were made when the pre- 



