February 9. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
355 
gone forth from the mouths of the Tyne, the Thames, 
and the Liffey: “ precept upon precept; line upon line; 
“here a little and there a little.” 
The danger from mismanagement of house sewers is 
not over-estimated by the committee. If used for getting 
rid of aught more powerful than slops and dishwaslnngs, 
they should hardly communicate with the insido of 
I houses, but the sink should be put down in a detached 
office. The daily flushing of house sewers (when a 
little chloride of lime may be employed) must be dono 
at the ebb of the tide, or it will be productive of a 
doubtful benefit. There is no disputing the propriety 
of having privies and ashpits at some distance from the 
i bouse, carefully closed in, and regularly cleansed and 
| emptied by the aid of covered scavenging carts, &c. 
The use of lime, chlorine, peat, charcoal, &c., we have 
! already urged; also the direct sympathy between the 
skin and the bowels; and we concur in the committee's 
very rational remarks on diet. In a future number we 
hopo to givo their views of the treatment of the disease 
itself. 
SANITARY MEASURES RECOMMENDED BY THE CHOLERA COM¬ 
MITTEE OF THE COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS IN IRELAND. 
“The most important object, perhaps, that can he at¬ 
tempted, both in the public arrangement of a great city 
and in the domestic arrangement of houses, is to secure an 
unvitialed atmosphere, and , as far as passible, to preserve it 
from those foul exhalations with which it must become loaded 
wherever a great number of people are congregated in a com- 
j paratively small space. 
“ To secure this object, more especially as a means of 
preventing the spread of epidemic diseases, the strictest 
attention to sewerage is imperatively necessary. The effect 
of deficient or imperfect sewerage on the spread of epi¬ 
demics is so fully established that it may he regarded as 
indisputable. 
“ The facts observed in Great Britain and Ireland, during 
the prevalence of the epidemic cholera in 1849, if they do 
not place cholera and defective sewerage in the relation of 
cause and effect, at least prove an intimate connection be¬ 
tween them. All manure heaps, filth of every description, 
stagnant pools of water, Sic., should be immediately removed 
from the vicinity of dwellings. 
“ The main sewers should he frequently flushed with 
water, and all the communications between them and the 
atmosphere should he closed, fexcept those requisite for 
drainage; the latter should he provided with water valves, 
or trapped so as to prevent the escape of recurrent effluvia. 
“If the sewerage of the city of Dublin permitted, the 
committee think it would be advisable to have all the 
sewers flushed simultaneously. 
“ The refuse matter, street sweepings, &c., removed by 
I the scavengers, should he so disposed in convenient de¬ 
positories outside the city as not to become additional 
i sources of danger; moist filth should be covered over with dry 
I materials, so as to restrain evaporation, and the disengage¬ 
ment of offensive vapours, as far as possible; deodorizing 
i substances, such as dry turf mould, peat charcoal, or chloride 
of lime, should he freely used to neutralise them. 
“ All occupants of houses, as well in the higher as in the 
j lower walks of life, should he informed that it is not merely 
in the neglect of the main sewerage that a risk of promoting 
the spread of disease exists, there being scarcely a house of 
any class in which the sewerage and sculleries are not so 
mismanaged as to render them dangerous to the health of 
the inhabitants. 
“ All ash or filth pits should he, as far as possible, kept 
apart from the dwelling-houses, and carefully closed in or 
covered up by closely-fitted doors. 
“ All communication between the house sewers and the 
interior of the dwelling-house should be carefully closed, 
and those parts with which it is necessary to keep a com¬ 
munication to get rid of liquid waste should be carefully 
fitted with water valves. The air of the dwelling-house 
being warmer than the air of sewers, and escaping by the 
doors, windows, chimneys, Sic., tends to exhaust tho sewers 
of their foul air, which, rising in the house to supply the 
place of tho heated air which has escaped, keeps up a 
constant supply of foul air, which, passing from the sewers 
through the dwelling-house, is necessarily breathed by the j 
occupants. 
“ The same observation applies to water-closets, privies, &c. j 
“ The too prevalent practice of throwing filth into streets 1 
and lanes should be effectually prevented. 
“ The authorities should provide covered carts for the \ 
removal, every morning, of such matters as would otherwise . 
he thrown into the street. 
“ The committee cannot too strongly reprobate the 
practice which they understand has recently grown up in 
the poorer districts, of converting the cellars and kitchens, 
which have been condemned as residences, into ash-pits and 
receptacles of all sorts of filth. 
“ The committee cannot avoid observing, that the sanitary 
condition of tho metropolis of Ireland must, notwithstand¬ 
ing every temporary and partial effort at improvement, 
remain in an unsatisfactory state unless means he provided 
for effectually abating that greatest of all nuisances, an 
enormous open sewer, formed by a tidal river running 
through the middle of the city. 
“ The Liffey, under the present system, instead of being 
an ornament and an advantage, as it would be if it received 
only the natural drainage of the district contiguous to its 
banks, is converted into a receptacle of foul matters from 
the numerous sewers which contaminate its waters, and 
the deposits from which, being left exposed when the tide 
ebbs, taint the atmosphere to a great extent with the most 
offensive effluvia. 
“ Lodging-house keepers, and the landlords of tenements 
let out to the poor, should be subjected to the regulations 
against over-crowding; should procure an adequate supply 
of pipe-water; provide proper ash-pits and conveniences, and 
ensure proper ventilation,—by opening windows at stated 
times, by ventilators, perforated zinc plates, lowered open¬ 
ings, <fcc. Moderate fires in open grates assist ventilation, 
raising the temperature inside the house, and, at this 
season, aid in preserving the functions of the skin and 
bowels in a healthy state. Sudden alternations of tempe¬ 
rature should be avoided; tho internal heat of the house 
should not be so high that the effect of passing out into the 
open air would produce chill of the surface, and possibly 
breed complaint. 
“ White-washing with fresh-burnt lime is of great import¬ 
ance ; and where the disease should unhappily break out, 
the committee advise chloride of lime, dissolved in water, 
for washing the floors of the house. Burials within the city 
should he discouraged. In very poor localities, where pipes 
are not laid down, a water-cart for the neighbourhood might 
dispense water at the houses of the most needy, for cleanli¬ 
ness and dressing wholesome food. 
“ The committee advise no sudden changes in habits of 
living when moderate and regular. A due allowance of 
animal food, fish, and vegetables, with the usual condi- I 
ments, and wine, sound malt-liquor, or other accustomed , 
stimulant, in moderate quantity, is unobjectionable. Excess 
should be avoided, particularly in the case of ardent spirits; 
and also of food likely to cause indigestion or hoivel com- ; 
plaint, particulrrly unripe, decayed, or unsound fruit. 
“ Between the functions of the boicels and skin a remarkable \ 
sympathy or consent exists, so that attention should be paid 
to secure a healthy state of the latter by the occasional use j 
of the warm bath, and clothing suitable to the season, in ] 
order to keep up a sufficient degree of activity in the super¬ 
ficial circulation. Flannel or woollen clothing next the 
person is preferable at this season, with strict attention to 
cleanliness, and frequent changes of clothing. 
“In general, debilitating causes must be avoided, as 
excessive, long-continued fasting and fatigue, exposure to 
moist, stagnated air, or to air loaded with effluvia of organic 
matters.” J. J. 
“ ~ ' I 
