92 



BULLETIN 414, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



A box (fig. 2) devised by Maj. William Lister (military surgeon, 

 May, 1912) might be used to good advantage at convict camps. The 

 box is 8 feet long, with four holes, and is provided with a grip at each 

 end for convenience of handling. The top is 18 inches wide, with a 

 slope of li inches to the rear to drain rain and wash water. The cir- 

 cular holes are 11 inches in diameter. The hd is extended forward 

 flush with the top edge, so as to keep the seat dry, and it has a block 

 nailed on the upper side to prevent its opening to a right angle. A 

 block (2 by 3 inches) is nailed at each end of the upper edge in front, 

 so that when the box is turned over this edge may not be soiled or 

 scratched. A piece of tin (8 by 10 inches) is fastened by its upper 

 edge to the inside of the front wall, opposite each seat, and set at an 



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FRONT ELEVATION 



Fig. 2.— Lister latrine box. 



SECTION 

 SHOWING SEAT RAISED 



angle which causes the urine projected against it to fall clear into the 

 pit. The box is set on a frame, so as to make the contact with the 

 ground closer. This renders the box more completely fly proof, 

 and protects the edges of the pit from wear and tear. To hold the 

 box on the frame, a strip of board 4 inches wide is naOed 1 inch inside 

 the lower edge of the box, thus projecting 3 inches clear and snugly 

 fitting inside the frame. 



Disinfection of a pit by fire has been practiced to a considerable 

 extent in the United States Army and the results have been very 

 satisfactory. 



At about 9 a. m., after a majority of the men have visited the pit, the box being 

 lifted to one side, a layer of straw, grass, or hay (about 20 pounds for a pit 10 feet long) 

 is evenly spread over the contents, sprinkled with a gallon of crude petroleum, and 



