The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-02-27
sewers and sewerage the gEtef source
Eor Contagious and Epidemic Dis

commencement, after receiving the poison
from which they spring. hnsied'to % 'Dfoaas
snread conviction that in some way these ie-
hrile disorders stand in certain relations 10
filtb. The various hypothesis rs to the mel
nicnt processes and details connected Win
the origin of these maladies are all oasea
mon the concession that epidemic ano con-
tagious diseases are propasated by q poison
as definite as that which causes smali-po2 OF
yorioloid. and the evidence furnSnea Ny
Official reports from Massachusetts ana new
YORK greatly preponderates in support OF tne
idea That typhoid and other febrlle diseases
are. in large majority of cases, caused OF NJ
vited by gascs or other emanations ARISING
from decaYing organic matter or SUBSTANCE
in cessnools. drains, sewers, cellars, PrlVies,
d;lanidated and leaking soil pipes, ana otnef
occ,,mr]ations of decomposing or putrld AMI
nal or vegetable matter in damp by-pmces,
nartiallv excluded from air. Whllst inc
ir,o;son thus generated finds its readiest VIC
limo amongst those who trlile most VIII
heoIth md life. there are none who may not,
Of one time or another, be suUected " le'
Roth IN New York and Boston, ana DOUBT
,oss in all other large cities, the main causes
nf the generation and propagation of the
gases that breed typhoid and other fatal con,
fapio,1s fevcrs are imperfect sewerage anu
the false principles as well as the defective
construction of water-closets andprivies. In
order to economic expense, several houses
are connected together by one drain leading
TO the street sewer, and by pipe whose Ca
pacity is scarcely sufficient for a single house.
Of these we have seen frequent examples.
The effect of this is that the moment any OBJ
str,1ction takes place in the main common
drain all the houses connected thereWlth
suffer from the poisonous sewer-gases, Wmcr
have no other outlet. In the construction Oh
trans there are also radical defects some
soii-pipcs have so shallow bend that but
a yery small quantity of water IS re-
tanned in them; others are fitted with an IRON
can, which is fastened by ear-pleces working
on shoulder; others, again, have SIMPLY
fiat iron cap, without any means OF i1stellhS,
being retained in place only by their own
weight: and our experience in the eXalnlna'
ton of these two latter kinds is that there IS
no hacking used between the cap and pipe,
and being made of rough iron casting, there
is nothing to prevent the escape OF gases
directly from the sewer into the dwelling.
0ften we find the loose cap entirely off from
the nine. and not unfrequently the screw cap
is found unscrewed and merely set upon the
omen pine. Iron sewer-pipes are found TO De
Joined without lead packing in the joints, ana
without a sleeve to cover the shoulder OF the
Joint: cement or stoneware pipes are rarely
found with the joints securely cemented.,,
Again, we frequently find in the cellar
bottom small cesspool, without stcnch-trap,
connected directly with the seWer-plpc.
These generally have either an open pipe or
1aestone perforated with one Oh more loles
for the purpose of allowing any accumulation
of water that may occur in the ccllar-bottom
from springs or otherwise to flow oil into the
sewer. These are dangerous openings.
Through these the poisonous gases Of the
street sewer constantly emanate, and gradu-
ally insidiously pcrmeate the upper dwelling
rooms. Sometimes the cold air for the fur
mace or heater supply is taken only from the
cellar, having no shaft or box leading to the
external atmosphere, and through this SER
vice not only the foul air Of the cellar, Dut
the sewer gases escaping from the cesspool
openings, are carried directly into the dwell
ing, sitting, and sleeping-rooms.
The damages incurred from these sources
cannot be over-estimated. The inhalation oil
these insidious and actiyely-poisonous gases,
which enter the sleeping-rooms ut night
through the defective scwer-pipe, uncovered
trap in soil-pipe, untrapped wash-basln,
waste-pipe defective, water-closet and BATH
tub Waste-pipe, cannot but produce such re-
suits as may he observed in many families
when complaint is made of slecpless nights,
violent headaches, langour, lassitude, want
of appetite, teverishness, as some of tue
slightcr symptoms may be described; all OF
which may pass off by coming into contact
with fresh, pure atmosphere, but which
may, if continued too long, result in pros
trative, slow, or rapid fever, which will be
called typhoid, typhus, remittent, or spotted
fever, as the poison imbibed may elect to
produce. Indeed, there are good reasons fo1
believing that through these channels conta'
| gion finds a ready transmission.
The provision of direct open seWer-plpe
extending above the roof OF the house
affords 4 free escape for sewer gases, Where
this dilution can take place without danger
to health or life, and at the same time OBJ
yiates another condition that frequently oc
ours in the following manner: Probably
very many persons have observed in their
dwellings that at certain times there is a
very offensive odor, which usually occurs
after rain, the explanation of which is this
The leader from the roof is usually connected
with the scWer-pipe at its lowest point
whenever it rains this leader becomes filled
with water, which, rushing downward
through the soilpipe, causes an exhaustion
Of all or several of the traps in the various
house connections from the waste-pipes Of
the water-closets, wash-basins, &C., and unit
these exhausted traps become again filled
with water by m accidental usage there is
really no obstruction whatever to the escape
| 80 i,,fp filf
dwellings, and from the fact of an increased
pressure upon the capacity Of the sewer it
self these gases are forced unusually back
into the various rooms of the house.
could multiply proofs upon these point:
to any extent. But pass from the contem
plation of such evils to the more agreeable
task Of inquiring whether there is not ,
practical remedy for them. The same evil:
which have grown so conspicuous in New
York and Boston must prevail with us II
Baltimore, for we have the same vicious sys
tenn, and the fact that the rate of mortality
in Boston is higher than in Baltimore show:
that we are not exempt from the causes tina
diminish the chances Of life. For starting
point it may be truly said that Baltimore en-
| joys some important advantages. Our eli
mate for the year round is unsurpassed OF
the Atlantic coast. The slopes of our street,
are highly favorable to system of surface
drainage. The extensive underlying STRAIT;
Of sand secures to us sweet and wholesome
evaporations from the earth unless we allow
it to become saturated with foul substances
and thus become the breeder of disease, q!
the German Swans declare it will become by
being constantly soaked with impurities
The views of these German men of scienc,
show that by the present mode of getting
rid of the refuse and filth Of cities the I'm
| deriving earth will hecnme so saturated 81