132 The Essentials of House Sanitation. 



very large quantity of water. It is a thing that very rarely 

 occurs. With my plan there would be no danger of syphonage, 

 because the soil pipe remains open. As to the use of wall paper 

 in the closet, I think, if used, it should be made of material 

 impervious to water. Mr. Brown asked what would become 

 of the foul air taken up the soil pipe. I don't believe there 

 would be any taken up when disconnection is properly made. 

 Mr. Winnington has made some very practical remarks under 

 my section B, involving a good deal of business matter which 

 the outside public ought to take care of. He very properly re- 

 ferred to plumbers, and the great improvement that has been 

 made to put them on a proper footing. That is a step in the right 

 direction. All our trades should be registered. The sanitary 

 arrangements of our houses depend as much upon the carpenter 

 as the plumber ; but, while I approve of registering tradesmen, I 

 would take care no one was registered as such but a tradesman. 

 Dr. Macaulay made some remarks to the effect that where you 

 make improvements you create disease. I think he will find 

 that it is not the improvement causes the disease, but the 

 process. Professor Everett prejudiced my trap, and said he was 

 afraid that servants would use it badly. A question of educa- 

 tion again. It is no argument to do away with an improvement 

 because it would be used badly. We are bound in duty to 

 make it, and insist upon it being kept. If servants do not 

 do it, dismiss them and get those who will. Mr. Lockwood 

 referred to another thing I should have mentioned in my paper, 

 the surface of the workers' houses yards. If you go into some 

 houses and see the condition of the yard you will find it simply 

 covered with everything foul and mischievous. You cannot 

 expect the housekeeper to keep the place nice unless you have 

 all the appointments rendering it capable of being so kept, and 

 when we make our yards on a dead level, with the tiles badly laid, 

 we have them soaking with all sorts of filth. The yards of our 

 workers' houses should not be left level, but have a fall of at 

 least nine inches. I have to thank the audience again for their 

 kind reception of my communication. 



