Am.  Jovr.  Pharm.  ) 
Jan.  1,1872.  J 
Earth  Closets. 
29 
had  an  opportunity  of  examining  the  calisaya  upon  so  large  a  scale, 
but  it  was  a  better  tree,  although  very  delicate  in  its  predilections  ; 
and  he  scarcely  knew  what  to  say  about  the  success  of  that  species. 
He  had  seen  specimens  from  Darjeeling,  which  looked  exceedingly 
good,  although  they  did  not  bear  out  the  full  idea  he  had  formed  from 
the  appearance.  He  did  not  know  why.  With  reference  to  Profes- 
sor Bentley's  question,  he  remarked  that  he  had  not  had  any  very 
great  experience  in  the  barking  of  the  roots  ;  and  therefore  what  he 
had  said  about  root  barks  must  be  taken  as  founded  on  a  limited  ex- 
perience. When  the  roots  run  under  moss,  he  had  no  doubt  the  bark 
on  them  would  be  very  rich ;  but  it  was  very  different  otherwise,  for 
when  the  roots  penetrated  deeply  into  the  ground  it  was  thin  and 
worthless.  Mr.  M'lvor  succeeded  in  getting  the  greatest  products 
from  roots  covered  with  moss,  and  he  (Mr.  Howard)  had  no  doubt  Dr. 
De  Vrij  was  right  in  that  respect,  and  to  him  he  readily  yielded  the 
palm. — Chemist  and  Druggist,  November  15,  1871. 
EARTH  CLOSETS. 
The  earth-closet  system  of  disposal  of  household  excreta  has  been 
found  to  be  practically  impossible,  in  consequemce  of  the  bulk  of  the 
powdered  mould  which  is  necessary,  the  trouble  and  expense  neces- 
sary for  procuring  it  in  towns,  the  difficulty  of  removing  the  resultant 
manure,  and  the  impossibility  of  finding  servants  cleanly  and  regular 
enough  to  keep  the  apparatus  clean  and  full  of  earth.  Mr.  Edward 
Stanford,  F.  C.  S.,  has  made  to  the  mechanical  section  of  the  British 
Medical  Association  a  proposal  to  substitute  carbon  in  some  form  for 
the  earth. 
By  the  use  of  charcoal  the  amount  of  deodorizer  required  is  reduced 
to  less  than  a  fourth  as  compared  with  earth,  and  by  carbonising  the 
manure  removed,  a  constant  supply  is  secured. 
The  quantity  per  head  to  be  removed  per  annum  may  be  fairly 
estimated  at  eight  cwt.,  of  which  about  seven  cwt.  represents  urine 
alone.  The  amount  of  carbon  required  to  perfectly  absorb  the  whole 
of  this  quantity  is  less  than  eight  cwt.,  so  that  in  an  ordinary  house- 
hold of  ten  persons,  the  total  annual  quantity  required  cannot  exceed 
four  tons,  and  the  whole  removal  will  probably,  owing  to  the  drying 
action  of  the  charcoal,  be  about  five  to  six  tons. 
The  carbon  closets  are  also  arranged  to  be  quite  automatic,  and 
