Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-03-26
EVENING STAR.
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

TIE PoUDRErTz QUESTION I'm the course |
Of the recent trial before the Criminal Court |
Of this city, wherein the proprietor Of the |
Poudrette factory on Fourteenth street was |
prosecuted for the creation of q nuisance, |
there seemed to be some misunderstanding as
to the possibility of disposing of the article of
which poudrette is manufactured otherwise
than according to tho old plan of leaving il
in piles on the outskirts of the city, to poison
the atmosphere for square miles around, or
10 manufacture il as at present into poudrette
within striking distance CT the nasal organs of
thousands, which, we care not what scientific
men may say to the contrary, cannot be happy
in its effect on the public health. Thousands
among US know well that the smell is almost
as offensive at this day for a circle with a
mile long radius, as it was when "the old
fields" Of the city were mere deposit grounds
for the result Of the scavengers labors. Any
thing that taints the air is dangerous to pub
lie health. In n certain state the piles OF ex
crement that formerly were dumped on the
g old fields" gave out no Odor. In otner
states the edor evolved from them was terrible
in its effects on those compelled to lnhale H.
So il must be with pOudrette factories.
On the 5th of October last we published
description of the manner in which the excre-
ment Of the city of Paris is disposed Of, and
we append herewith an extract from that
article, showing how it may be similarly dis
to our city's health and treasury. Every
load now sold to the pOudrette makers by the
scsyengers is worth only 62t cents while every
similar load sold in New York, where il is de-
Iiyered on board boats or vessels, sells for
s362l, or Is cents per bushel. 1t will cost
but a song comparatively, to adopt here the
plan explained in the appended extract; while
instead Of being a tax upon the community, If
it were adopted, the duty Of Kidding Wash
ington of its excrement would soon be a source
Of positive revenue to the Corporations trea-
sury:
- To US it appears that q remedy will be
found in placing the excrement in hOgsbeads,
instead CT the cart with open top. The tub
used at present to carry the excrement from
the privies to the cart would require simply
to be converted into n funnel by fixing a cop
per tube IN its bottom, allowing each side of
the slaves to extend little below the tube,
80 that in setting the tub down the tube may
not be injured. The tube to have a stopper,
Nth a handle attached to 1T, to open and
close on the upper side of the bottom, so that
the operators hand may not be soiled A
tray that will haul from four to six empty
hogsheads, Tor as many as ale required,)
similar to those used in hauling -four from
Georgetown, is all that is required, differing
from the present plan. When the work of the
night commences, as many empty hogsheads
as will be required are placed on the dray.
Stopping at the first house the funnel or tub is
6Ylod, refilled. and emptied in the hogshead
nearest the end Of the dray, until all is To-
moved, when the bung is closed, and the SC v-
enger moves on to the next house When tho
hogshead is thus filed, il is tightly bunged
and rolled of of the dray, and examined to
see that it is perfectly clean, and if not
should be washed clean and left at the curb.
Another hogshead is then rolled to the end of
the dray, and the same process continued un.
iii all are full, each hOgshead being left near
the gutter wberc it 10 filled Care must be
.aken that they are left perfectly clean and
the next day they can be hauled away to any
placed desired, as article of commerce.
By this plan, they can be kept perfectly clean
and may be placed in any store Whatever
plan may be found advisable, whether to ship
down the river or haul into the country, all
IS safe and inoffensive and may be removed
without danger. The only expense to be in
-;urred by the scavengers is the purchase of
hOgsheads, a supply of Is possibly may be re-
.uirei for each scavenger to allow time for
purchasers to return the empty ones.
On examining the subject it may be COZ
sidered advisable for the corporation to furn-
ish the casks and keep them in repair, and
also to retain the control and disposal of the
excrement after its delivery by the scavengers
In hogshesds at depots designated by the
Mayor All expenses will be amply provided
for by the sales. Surprising the population of
all kinds at present to be 20 00a souls the
annual product will be IL, $40, 900 gallons,
IbaSed On calculations made for Strasburg,
France) which, ct cents per bushel, will
yield sI2 900 annually"
The ANNUAL COMMENCEMENT OF THE MED
ICAL DEPARTMENT of Georgetown College
took place at the Smithsonian Institution last
night. The exercises commenced with music
by Esputa Band, after which came the read
ing by Prof z. Howard, dean Of George
town College, the commission authorizing
Georgetown College to confer the degree of
Doctor in Medicine
The degrees were conferred by Rev. Ber-
nard A. Mcguire, president Of Georgetown
College, and the address to the graduates was
delivered by Prof. johnson Eliot Prof EIiOt's
address eyiIeed much liberality of feeling
and practical good sense. The rise of the pro-
fessiOn Of mediciue-eOeval with the sufferings
OF man-and is progress through various vicis-
STUDIES to its present position, was sketched
The work Was still unfinished, and was to be
carried on with persevering application and
careful observation. The close study of anat-
omy, chemistry, and physiology, was earn
estly recommended to the graduates. In anat-
omy they should not confne themselves to the
human structure, but the study should be
carried On from the lowest grade of animal
organisation 10 the highest The uses of
chemistry aBI physiology were dwelt upen
hudtOHy anu chemistry furnish the materials
for study, and physiology the means of ap-
plying them. The great aid rendered to med
icai science by that wonderful instrument, the
microscope, was acknowledged.
Medicine being liberal profession. its fol-
lowers should be characterized by liberality
Of feeling. The difference of opinion which
will always exist in relation to medical doc
trines SHOULD not cause i'll feeling among prac-
titiOners The delicate relation in which
medical men stand towards those families
when their professional services are required
was spoken of; tbs implicit confidence re-
posed in the physician should never be vio-
lated. The graduates were recommended
never to be the voluntary eOnfdants of Sc
crets They were warned, too, that the pro-
fessiOn they were entering upon was not q lu-
cratiye one, and though a physician Occa-
siOnally amassed wealth, other professions
and occupations brought much more certain
pecuniary gains. Many physicians starting
in life attempted to make themselves socially
popular by attaching themselves to every