The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
15 
Health Notes 
Purifying Water 
Could you give me any information on 
how to purify the water in a large cistern 
without drawing off the water? Several 
weeks ago we found that a rat had 
drowned in the cistern, and although it 
has now been removed for over a week 
the water still has an odor. This water 
we use for all washing purposes. 
Holcomb, N. Y. it. L. c. 
If this rat had reached such a stage 
of decomposition as to become soluble in 
the water and impart an odor to it, I am 
afraid that it will be difficult to purify 
the contents of the cistern, but, if the 
rat was found and removed whole, it is 
quite likely that it is not responsible for 
the evil odor. Any cistern water is likely 
to acquire a disagreeable odor after stand¬ 
ing for some time without additions, as 
it will during a long dry time. This is 
due to the growth of vegetable organisms 
that thrive in stale water. Aerating the 
water by splashing it into the air will 
help to remove the odor, though a good 
shower that will add a considerable 
quantity of fresh water will do more. 
Only frequent showers will keep cistern 
water fresh, but an odor that is not too 
offensive need not prohibit the use of 
such water for washing. 
Dampness in House 
Why do my windows and doors sweat 
so much? The water runs even on the 
floor from them. It is a one-story build¬ 
ing, and is set on a good foundation of 
double stone wall. The frame is built of 
studding 2x4 ; on the inside it is plastered 
and lathed ; outside is sheathed with inch 
boards and then heavy building paper be¬ 
tween the siding. It is just a new build¬ 
ing and stands on dry ground. I do not 
know whether open stoves could have 
anything to do with it or not. There is 
another house near here, built about two 
years ago. which does the same thing. 
What could I do to overcome this? The 
house has a double floor with paper be¬ 
tween, same as the putside wall. 
Mt. Jewett, Pa. H. w. s. 
The trouble is caused by moist and 
warm inside air coming in contact with 
the colder outside walls. It is probable 
that a considerable amount of this mois¬ 
ture is coming fiom the plastered walls, 
as you mention that your house has been 
newly built. Heated air has a greater 
capacity for carrying or absorbing mois¬ 
ture than does cold air. consequently 
when the inside air comes in contact with 
the doors and windows that are cooled by 
the outside air, it is cooled and the 
moisture condensed on the cold surface 
in just the same w.av that a pitcher of 
cold water “sweats” in the Summer, or 
dew is formed on a Summer night. Ven¬ 
tilation will relieve the condition by car¬ 
rying the moisture-laden air out before 
it has a chance to cool. The use of well- 
fitted storm doors and windows will also 
help to prevent it by keeping the inside 
surfaces of the doors and windows more 
nearly at room temperature. 
Improving a Cesspool 
I have two cesspools, one 8 ft. diame¬ 
ter, 16 ft. deep, which overflows into a 
second pit 4 ft. diameter, 19 ft. deep, and 
both remain full. In the bottom of_ sec¬ 
ond one I had a 4-in. hole drilled 25 ft., 
and dynamite cartridge exploded at bot¬ 
tom of drill hole, but without improve¬ 
ment. Soil seems a mica sand and clay. 
<'an you suggest a workable plan for 
carrying off overflow from these two cess¬ 
pools? - c. B. B. 
Media, Pa. 
A cesspool is not a suitable means of 
disposal of house sewage when it must 
be dug in a clay soil. It then becomes 
a cistern. The effort to secure drainage 
by penetrating an impervious layer of 
clay and rock to reach a stratum of 
open soil beneath is not likely to prove 
successful. If a hole is driled to a point 
below the level of the natural water table, 
it will simply permit the rise of water 
in that hole to the water table’s level, and 
may convert what was before a depression 
in the ground into a pond. 
You may be able to convert these cis¬ 
terns into a septic tank. To do this, al¬ 
low one to overflow into the other, as it 
seems already to be doing, and carry the 
overflow from the other into a line of 
drain tiles, perhaps 50 to 100 feet long, 
laid from 8 to 10 in. below the level of 
the ground, and with a very slight grade. 
The end of this line entering the cesspool 
should be carried down a foot or two 
by means of an elbow, thus permitting an 
undisturbed stratum of liquid above it. 
Over this undisturbed surface there will 
gather a heavy scum, which will seal it 
and afford a home for certain bacteria 
which destroy the solid content of the 
cesspools. The cesspools should be tightly 
covered and not venilated. The line of 
tiles should be of such grade that the 
liquids entering will slowly seep away 
through the open joints, not rush at once 
to the lower end. In time sludge may 
accumulate at the bottom of the first 
reservoir and require removal, but prob¬ 
ably not in your lifetime. M. B. u. 
Cleaning Cistern 
IIow can I clean a cistern which is un¬ 
der kitchen? Cement tank about 5 ft. in 
diameter catches water from roof; has 
about 18 in. of water. Cistern has not 
been used in some time. I find water 
foul and a dead rat or kitten in same, 
which evidently crowded in the overflow' 
pipe. Could this cistern be made clean 
and pure after condition I find it in? 
New Jersey. p. 
I can see no difficulty in cleansing a 
cement cistern by the simple expedient of 
pumping what water it contains out and 
washing down the walls with clean water 
and a scrub broom. Any cistern will, in 
time, accumulate a certain amount of 
sludge, settling out of the rainwater that 
it holds. If accessible, as all cisterns 
should be, a cistern should be given a 
thorough cleaning at intervals, using, as 
suggested, a scrub broom or brush and 
plenty of clean water. If this cistern is 
under a floor, where it cannot be got at, 
pumped out for a more thorough cleaning, 
should make the water usable again, 
though any carcass in a cistern would 
necessarily pollute the water, until it had 
either been removed bodily or permitted 
to decay and be pumped out in solution. 
M. B. D. 
A Barrel Smokehouse 
Many farmers who only cure pork in 
a small way do not have a regular smoke¬ 
house, and must therefore use some ap¬ 
pliance to take its place. There are 
some excellent portable smokehouses 
made commercially, which can be used as 
a meat safe after smoking is over, and 
their freedom from fire risk is a very 
valuable feature^ The accompanying 
picture of a safe and convenient barrel 
smoker is reproduced from Farmers’ 
Bulletin 11S6. “Pork on the Farm,” 
issued by the United States Department 
of Agriculture. As will be seen, a fire 
pit is constructed in the side of a bank, 
with a pipe running up to an orifice, over 
which a barrel is placed. The meat is 
hung in the barrel, which has a close lid 
perforated with holes through which the 
smoke may escape, and which also carries 
off the warm air and thus prevents over¬ 
heating the meat. This outside fire pit 
prevents any risk of the smoker catching 
fire. The smoke pipe should be buried 
to avoid breakage; either tile or metal 
piping may be used. If a small per¬ 
manent building is used, it is always 
safer to make this arrangement, and pipe 
the smoke into the house. The bulletin 
quoted states that a smokehouse 6x8 ft., 
14 ft. high, will give best results for gen¬ 
eral farm use. Ventilation should be 
provided to carry off the warm air and 
prevent overheating the meat. Small 
openings under the eaves, or a chimney 
in the roof, will control ventilation. If 
a fire pit cannot be made outside the 
house it should be built on the floor and 
a metal sheet constructed to shield the 
meat. If the meat is hung 6 or 7 ft. 
above the fire the shield will not be need¬ 
ed, as at that height the meat will get 
the benefit of the thick smoke, and still 
hang beyond reach of the flame. 
The best fuel for smoking is green 
hickory or maple. Hardwood is better 
than soft wood. Resinous woods should 
never be used, as they impart an objec¬ 
tionable flavor. Corncobs may be used, 
but they deposit carbon on the meat, 
giving it a dirty appearance. 
Analysis of Green Cut Bone 
What is the analysis of ground green 
bone? How is it fed to pullets, and how 
much to feed of it to 100 birds? e. m. 
Durham, Conn. 
The analysis of ordinary green cut 
bone is very variable, owing to the fact 
that there is an uncertain quantity of 
meat adhering to the bones ordinarily 
used. One published analysis is digestible 
crude protein 18.8 per cent; total diges¬ 
tible nutrients 73.4 per cent. Green 
cut bone is eaten greedily by fowls and 
care must be taken that it is not from 
spoiled scraps. About one-half ounce 
per hen daily is ordinarily given, this re¬ 
placing substantially one-half of the meat 
scrap in the ration. 
Chemical Toilet 
WUnt information can you give me as 
to advisability of using an indoor chem¬ 
ical toilet of the type that uses a 200- 
gallon tank? Are they sanitary and 
odorless? m. b. 
Kendaia, N. Y. 
Chemical toilets are sanitary and odor¬ 
less when properly installed and ventilat¬ 
ed. The smaller types for indoor use 
should be connected with a used chimney 
to insure prompt carrying off of odors; 
the larger ones are ventilated by means 
of a pipe extending above the roof. Un¬ 
less such closets are kept supplied with a 
sufficient quantity of the chemical disin¬ 
fectant used and are given needed atten¬ 
tion, they are not apt to prove satisfac¬ 
tory, but, if properly cared for, they fur¬ 
nish a very acceptable substitute for a 
water closet Avhere the latter is not avail¬ 
able. M. B. D. 
Disinfectant for Toilet 
1. We have recently moved, and do not 
expect to reside here more than a year, 
perhaps not that long. The toilet, which 
is concrete, walled to the floor, is level 
full, site near the henhouse. Is there any 
chemical that will destroy the contents 
and save me the filthy job which belongs 
to someone else? 2. Can you tell a friend 
how to cure the numbness in right hand? 
She edits a page in a paper, and seems 
to think she cannot be a quitter, but has 
been afflicted for over a year. W.M. C. 
Lovington, Ill. 
1. If you can get a good grade of 
chloride of lime, really chlorated lime, and 
sprinkle it liberally over the contents of 
the closet, offensive odors should be re¬ 
moved. Chloride of lime that has stood 
in open containers until the chlorine has 
disappeared has little value, but if you 
can get a reasonably fresh product, it 
serves the purpose well. Another, and 
cheaper, substance to use for this purpose 
is dry loam or road dust. Cover the vault 
contents deeply with this and keep a box 
or barrel near for frequent applications 
of a small quantity. The disinfecting and 
deodorizing powers of ordinary dry earth 
are not appreciated by those who can get 
it readily and without cost. 
2. The first thing to do in the case of 
the numbness of one hand is to ascertain 
the cause. This is a job for some qualified 
physician, hardly one for guesswork upon 
the part of those who never saw the pa¬ 
tient. Even if the physician guesses, he 
ought to be better qualified to come some¬ 
where near the mark than a layman. 
M. B. D. 
Winter Care of Unused Cistern and 
Septic Tank 
As I am about to close my detached 
house, out in the country, for the Win¬ 
ter (five months), I am concerned about 
the cistern and septic tank. The cistern 
is 6 ft. by 20 ft., by 5 ft. deep, the wall 
of the house furnishing both ends and one 
side, with concrete wall for remaining 
side, and the bottom is down to the blue 
clay stratum, which seems impervious to 
water. Should this cistern be emptied 
or left half full to freeze? The surface 
water is likely to press hard enough to 
force leakage into cistern and so flood 
the cistern for a foot or so. It will prob¬ 
ably freeze quite hard in the cellar where 
the cistern is. The septic tank, a two- 
compartment all-concrete one, is very 
large for my family. Should it have some 
water added during the five months’ non¬ 
use? Water could be poured in through 
the breather pipe just outside the house 
wall. All outside pipe line leading to 
this tank is well below freezing line. 
Morton, N. Y. b. f. s. 
The water in the cistern would un¬ 
doubtedly freeze if left over Winter in a 
house where there is no heat. This freez¬ 
ing would be so intense that the walls of 
the cistern would undoubtedly be cracked 
and spoiled for further use. The owner 
suggests that if the water is pumped out 
of the cistern wafer will run through the 
side walls. He does not state but what 
water will run in also through the bot¬ 
tom. I do not doubt that some of this 
water may come up through the bottom. 
It seems to me therefore that the first 
thing that should be done is that the 
walls should be given a plaster coat of 
concrete made in a mixture of one part 
fine sand, to pare nf Portland cement. 
This plaster coat should be floated down, 
and after it has made its initial set it 
should be then painted with a coat of 
neat cement put on with a whitewash 
brush. I feel that the bottom of the cis¬ 
tern should be covered with concrete also. 
The concrete across the bottom would 
probably have to be made about 4 in. 
thick. If this is made with ordinary 
bank-run gravel you should use nothing 
weaker than one to three mixture. This 
should be put in fairly dry and tamped 
down well. I would then leave the cis¬ 
tern free of water during the Winter 
season. 
I do not believe that B. F. 8. will be 
required to do anything concerning his 
septic tank. We find many septic tanks 
which remain unused for six or nine 
months of the year, and are then flushed 
out with a large amount of water at the 
beginning of the next season and then 
proceed to operate fairly satisfactorily. 
It would be of no use whatever to add 
wafer during the Winter season unless 
some organic matter was added at the 
same time to provide food for the bac¬ 
teria. E . A. s. 
“I wonder why it is a girl can’t catch 
a ball like a man.” “Oh, a man is so 
much bigger and easier to catch.”—Base¬ 
ball Magazine. 
Youcanbuyall the mate¬ 
rials fora complete Home 
direct from the manufac¬ 
turer and save four prof¬ 
its on the lumber, mill- 
work, hardware, labor. 
Living room, dining 
room, 2 bedrooms, kit¬ 
chen, bnth. 4otherplans, 
some with pantries, din¬ 
ing alcovas, grade and 
inside cellar entrances. 
Aladdin catalog con¬ 
tains seven different 
plans; some with in¬ 
set porches, grade and 
inside cel lar entrances, 
2 and 3 bedrooms. 
Large living room, dining 
room, kitchen, pantry, 3 bed¬ 
rooms, clothes closets, bath. 
Semi-open staircase and rear 
porch. 4 bedroom plan with 
grade entrance, same price. 
Typical American home with 
exposed rafters, shingled 
gables and plenty of window 
ventilation. Grade cellar en¬ 
trance—three bedrooms, four 
clothes closetsand largebatb. 
Dutch Colonial with full ceil¬ 
ings first and second floors. 
145c22' living room, largo din¬ 
ing room, kitchen, three bed¬ 
rooms, bath, linen and clothes 
closets, grade cellar entrance. 
g&\ jl|«y!WpP$f58Pi|h Dutch Colonial for wide 
jy, inside lota or narrow cor- 
ner lots. Full ceiling 
1 7 7 ■ I' f f Si*, heights entire second floor, 
J. j HL%j A L J|.LL sewing room, columned 
and inset front entrance. 
Price includes all lumber cut to fit; highest grade 
interior woodwork, siding, flooring, windows 
doors, glass, paints, hardware, nails, lath, roof¬ 
ing, with completeinstructions and drawings. Freightpaid 
to your station. Permanent Homes—NOT PORTABLE. 
Many styles to choose from. Write nearest mill today 
for FREE Money-Saving Aladdin Catalog No. 429. 
The ALADDIN Co., 
Wilmington, North Carolina, Portland, Ore.; Toronto, Ont, 
Sure Relief 
FOR INDIGESTION 
water 
Sure Relief 
E LL-AN S 
The GRIMM Maple Sugar Making Utensils 
— — ■. - • ■ ■ 
You make money on your Vo. 1 syrup. Why not use 
Grimm Utensils and make more of the No. X and more 
money We have in stock for immediate shipment. 
Buckets.Covers.Spouts,Tanks,etc.,and can shlpan Evap¬ 
orator and Arch within a week, after receiving order. If 
you need utensils please write us for catalogue “B,’ stat¬ 
ing number of treesyou tap. G. H. GRIMM COMPANY. Rutland. VI, 
BOLENS POWER HOE 
and Lawn a 
Mower Tractor 
It seeds, it culti TOyTSsRQ 
vates, it mows the 'p' x jf'vp 
lawn. It supplies power for 
operating light machinery. 
The BOLENS has a patented I, . A.3 3) 
arched axle for clearance and a 
tool control for accurate gu id 
ancein close weeding and culti- |EVSiV3S-, 
vating. A differential drive V. V- i./ Tp' 
makes turning easy. All attachments have snap 
hitches and are instantly interchangeable. A boy will 
run it with delight. Send for full particulars 
6'Room^ 
AIADDI 
I; fiio % \ q 
f A 
\ 1 
