State board of Health. 
283 
dysentery, and a host of other diseases equally dangerous to life. 
Hence, the vast importance of guarding well every avenue by 
which disease may enter our households, by giving heed to the 
warnings so frequently sounded in our ears concerning the present 
system of ventilating the channels that are intended as the con¬ 
servators of health. “Verily, a man’s foes are they of his own 
household.” 
The best means should be procured for flushing drain pipes at 
least once a quarter, and the outlet, an access-pipe opening, or the 
point of disconnection, watched to see that the flow is unimpeded. 
Some people flush the drains by removing the sink-trap and al¬ 
lowing a cistern to be emptied through the water tap into the 
drains; but this is for the most part useless, and the very term 
“ flushing ” means the imparting of a rushing action to a body of 
water — at least that is the only effectual method of cleansing un¬ 
derground channels. 
To provide an efficient quantity of flushing material where water 
works have not been introduced, the rain water may be stored in 
an upper or underground cistern, and when the drain is opened, 
the water having been caused by flowing or pumping to fill a large 
tank, above such opening, one side of the tank should be made 
removable, so that at a given moment a thorough scour may be in¬ 
sured. 
Proper openings for this purpose should be left in the drain, both 
below and above the point of disconnection; but these should neve^ 
occur inside the house, as is but too common, for, as the water 
runs down, the foul gases levitate and invade the house. Some¬ 
times a cheap disinfectant may with advantage be added to the 
flushing water. After this flushing, in all likelihood, any syphon 
traps in the line of the drain will be emptied, and it is necessary to 
pour a small supplementary supply of water gently into the drain 
before leaving it. 
Should the drain from any cause be stopped up, which will be 
readily ascertained, a series of swivel-jointed rods, such as are used 
by chimney sweepers, but with a roller at one end, or a series of 
Malacca canes, screwed together, should be pushed up the drain. 
It is here where the access pipes perform excellent work, since if 
the rods or canes cannot reach the matted obstructions at one 
place, they can do so from another point. 
