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3o//z January, 1883. 



The Rev. Canon Grainger in the Chair 



A Paper was read by Mr. William Gray, M.R.I.A., entitled 

 NOTES ON HOUSE DRAINAGE. 



The object of Mr. Gray's communication was to show that all 

 house drains should be simple in construction, effective in 

 operation, and, above all, arranged so that the house should be 

 completely cut off or disconnected from the town sewers. 

 Having referred to the medical testimony as to the many evil 

 consequences resulting from defective house drains, Mr. Gray 

 described a number of cases within his own knowledge in Belfast, 

 where, in otherwise well ordered houses, the drains were in a 

 stinking condition of filth and neglect, and calculated to promote 

 disease and death ; Mr. Gray strongly recommended every house- 

 holder to examine his drains, and if this was done it would be 

 found that grossly defective drains were the rule, and not the 

 exception. When drains are entirely covered up, as they 

 commonly are, the householder cannot examine them as fre- 

 quently as he should do ; indeed, he is thereby often prevented 

 from looking after them at all. No system of drainage therefore 

 can be complete that is not open for examination, and it cannot 

 be too generally known that it is possible to have a most effective 

 and simple plan of drainage, quite open for thorough examination. 

 Any drain will occasionally go wrong ; if hidden, that wrong or 

 defect will increase, and if the arrangements are complicated, 



