New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-05-03
TEE EARTH. CLOSET AND CHOLERA INFECTION.
10 ne Editor OF The Tribune.

TEE EARTH. CLOSET AND CHOLERA lNFECIlOh'
10 he Bditor OF The Tribune.
SIR: have received q slip cut from West
ern paper abiding doubling terms to the promise OF
sanitary relief that the Earth Closet holds out and re-
ferng your journal advocate of the reform inc
article is moderately and judicously written ana
to have the effect it intends. and cause the
sanitary reform who are urging the new system e.
careful attention to what is said on the otnei
far as have been able to ascertain the only
unfavorabe IN thu Earth thus far made Is that OF
n Roleston Professor OF Anatomy and fny AoioHy 10
Oxford published in The London Lanes VI n'.On
Prof RoIleston ia certainly very high authority ana
he has considered tho question IN al us bearings "''
opinion should have the greatest Weignt' no says
rJ Sesyed to be- actually the fact that the
porosity of the SOIL and It's lmpregnauon WIN SA0,ea
~ oy al eventa as particular seasons, bring ABOUT
ocai dsposon for cholera and that the immunity from
cholera which rocky soil enjoys on sae
see my way toward Tho dS'HsetOn Of pr's<' with ear'n
and peat" 800,
"f am told that the earthcoset Is inohensiye, ana
thai the PRIV fstd ANSWER that raa IL removed
and that for anything shown or known to tho contrary
Odor TO Infection, deodorzaton to dlsnieouoh wnas
the noise Of the serpent Is to It's bite"
Also. concerning typhoid fever: ,.,. Ar Nosno.
"Of the two recognized fOci for nfect0n-the bespat
tered prVy and the contaminated we-the former may
be the one which is more commonly at work"
Were 1t not evident from the article from which these
extracts made that Prof RollestOn has entirely mis-
conceived
guished from tho prlyy and the leaking sewer
should hesitate to offer any comment upon It, But this
mlsconception plain that 1t would DO unwse 10
Let IL pass without notice
In the first place. there Is nothing In the discoveries Of
Won Petten Kofer that strongly sustains his theory
THAT cholera infection Is spread by means OF 7dpor from
porous soil containing the exuria OF cholera patients)
than the theory the eminent Dr. Snow that the lhleo
ton Is due 10 ire poisoning of drinking Odr BY the leak
ing OF the communicating mattersuhrough porous soil
into wells).
Again the idea that rocky soils possess advantage,
in this regard porous Soils Anguary opposed by
the condition OF the two cities Of Sandusky and Detroit
during the cholera season of ls9 The former Is built
upon rock and suffered than anyiof Its neGhborng
cities while Detroit which is porous soil, without
so much as q pav1ngstone in it, and which Is only 20
miles from Sandusky, had only too deaths
Won Potion Kofer audes only to the dsinfeoton OF
pryies with earth and poat" Tho eartheloset system
proposes 10 abolish prives entirely as with sawers the
most dangerous denominations Of the ageas something
beyond the reach Of the dsnfecng power of earth and
peat-and to substitute for them process by which all
excavations lidud as well solid Immediately COW
cred their poisonous fermentation prevented and their
elements speedily decomposed and absorbed beyond tho
posi-. lily OF exhAling offensive or dangerous vapors
l.. IS reply to Dr. RolestOnl Lancet, March 49,, Mr.
MUue the inventor of the earthclOse after detailing
| the methods of its use, says
"Afer countless experiments and observations during
ten years feel quite confident that the sew
era stages this the rattlesnake will jure
For he has not only lost his rattle by deodorza
On by absorption by the total absence OF fermenta
ton and the minute mechanical disinteRraton
he either stfanged In his birth or torn into ten
| thousand atoms"
The new process is aimed directly at the two reoog
nzed foci for infection in typhoid" "The spattered
privy and the contaminated we'll" must both disappear
before It, and whichever theory be the correct oneVon
Peten KOfers Dr. Snowsthe spread Of the disease Is
entirely within our control
In making these strong statements, depend fan
eful idea hypothesis 70 what ought to be the re-
suit but in ample experience especially in British India
(which Is the native homo Of choera) throughout the
whole OF which the dry earth system has been in fun OPP
Grafton for five years During all this time, while the
earthoset has been the only system In use in as with
from 700 1900 inmates not single outbreak OF cholera
has been reported, and 1t is confidently believed
that should the disease manifest itself in anyiquarter
1t may by the OF the earthcoset alone confined
to the in which it first appeared So clearly
these facts shown by the experience OF india that Dr.
MouAtt medcal inspector of ias in his official report
says
at impossible, my humble opinion, 20 overesti-
the result Of the Rev Mr. MOules labOrs In this i'm
portant branch OF hygeinehe dry earth system. IL IT,
without exception the greatest public benefit conferred
by private Individual In matter essential 70 public
| health that am acquainted with"
This opinion fully susaned by the reports Of the
Of at Wimbledon Common last where
the camps OF the National Rife Association OO0 volun-
teers and regularly kept decent and saubriouS
during weeks Of the hottest weather known IN
England. Respectfully GEO. +. WAXING.
ogden Farm, Newport, r. T., April H. 1869.