Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-09-03
THE WAR OF THE DOCTORS.
Another Lively Meeting of the Board

FOOD INSPECTIONS.
Also. from the special committee on the in
1t as imprscticsble to carry out the plans pro-
posed, as it would involve the appointment of
too many inspectors; but the committee recon-
mend the appointment of an additional in
spector to examine all green grocer shops and
commission houses throughout the District,
where provisions, and especially vegetables and
duty upon the inspector OF marine products to
look after all fruits and vegetables arriving at
the wharves. The report was adopted.
The report Of the health officer was read and
adopted.
Tie subject of milk inspections was referred
TO the sanitary committee.
MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS.
The coroner's report was read, showing the
number of irquests held during the month Of
August to be %.
Resolutions were adopted condemning several
dilapidated shanties as instances.
DR.. cox ON TIE NIGHT-soIL QUESTION.
The special order, being the night-soil ques-
ton, was taken up, and DR.. Cox, who had the
floor, with DIR. Bliss in the chair, addressed the
board at considerable length, reviewing in de-
tail the report submitted by DR.. Verdi at a pre-
vious meeting, ard commenting on the same.
After referring to the previous action of the
board on the subject, he said -" The DISPOSE
ton of human excrement, without effense or
injury TO health, has been the vexed problem of
centuries, and is at this day, whatever may be
in the most enlightened countries of Europe,
and especially in England, where experiment
upon experiment has been instituted. and as
often failed of accomplishing the desired object.
Under the modern sewerage or water
carriage systems in Europe the most disastrous
consequences have resulted TO the public health
Doctor verdi properly told us that the rivers of
England had been poisoned from this cause.
He might have gone further and included most
of the rivers of Europe. The whole system of
sewerage for the removal of fecal matter is a dis
grace to our civilization. Subterranean canals
should be used only for water drainage. Every
drop of urine and every particle of exerement
should be rendered iDocuous and become util-
lied. This great result accomplished, and a
monster cause of disease will be removed out of
the way. The disposition of the sewerage and its
utilization is at this moment An absorbing
question in Great Britain, as evidenced by the
reports in Parliament.
DIR. cox SARCASTIC.
With q full knowledge of these repeated fail
uIes in Europe confess was somewhatsta
when my friend over the way informed us that
he had discovered abroad a system which not
only does the work thoroughly, but without a
dollars expense. 1t did seem strange TO me,
and / expressed my surprise that this plan,
which had converted an old otfense into a mod
ern luxury, and an expensive arrangement into
one of profits should have been in use three years
in England and nothing been heard of ii on this
side of the water. lnreply to repeated requests
that he should give us some inklng of the plan,
his lips were Theoretically sealed, ana we were
destined to know nothing of the wisdom con-
cealed behind them until his carpet-bag could
be unpacked and he could find time to arrange
his facts and figures for finished report. OF the
ulscOUrteey oil sucl the part lal arrest OF
a much needed public reform, and the violence
thus offered to the public interests I shall have
nothing to say. At length the mystery has been
solved, the silence broken, and we ought not to
complain. Like honest Sancho, we must ''thank
God for the giver, nor look the gift horse in the
mouth" / might exclaim with the Latin poet,
'.pdrtUTIuHt monies" &c but | won't. This
much may be said, sir-I never did believe our
friend had anything practical TO offer, any
scheme which could be put in successful opera
tion, and the result has proved it. l was pre-
pared, were it otherwise, to vote for 1t, and ad-
yoca te it."
DR.. CoX's ESTIMATE OF THE COST OF DR.. YER
DIS PLAN.
DR.. Cox went on to say that according to DR..
Nerdi's estimate the cost of the Rochdale system
would be but SlS,555 per annum, but on his
(Dr. C.'sl estimate, the original expense (Outft)
would be as follows: Horses, vans, &C., for the
removal of night soil, $50 COO; for removal OF
ashes and garbage, and for horses and carts,
$50 900; stables, buildings, and machinery tor
manufacturing fertilizers, $4,000; making the
total cost 1913, 200. The total cost of running
the vans and garbage and ash carts will amount
TO SGi5 day, to S16,610 per month, or, in round
numbers, 100000 year. 1t would thus re-
Quire the manufacture Of 10000 tons of fertili-
ger, at IS per ton, to pay the running expenses
alone of removing night-soil, ashes and gar
bage of the two cities-an amount of fertilizer
which would cover most of the bare spots of
Virginia. He claimed that the tar barrels were
too frail for tubs, and substantial tubs would be
required, costing about IS each. These, with
the cost of covers for vans, remodeling pri ves,
h.
costs noticed above. would make s519,G64.
UTILIZATION OF NIGaT-soIL.
In regard to the profitable utilization of night
soil, he had only to say that in this country, at
least, ii has been demonstrated not to be very
important source ofrevenue, and he denied that
Baltimore had sold $4,000 worth of the raw
material last year. He stated that the cost OF
the machinery in that city was $50, 900, and to
this time they had not realized over $4,000. He
noticed that sthe Baltimore Fertilizing Com
pany, of the city of Baltimore, with ample
capital, attempted to uti re night-soil, garbage,
ashes, and dead animals; the material was deliy-
cred on their scows free of cost, the city paid
them $4,000 for carrying it away, and with
these advantages, in connection with the most
approved methods that could be devised for
working the material, have completely failed
and gone ont of existence" Here, even. were
the utilization of excrementitious matter posi-
BILE and profitable, we could not engage in it,
since a contract OF ten years duration already
exists by which all the night-soil, garbage, and
dead animals pass into private hands, and
could not be diverted therefrom without u
violation of the legal contract entered into by
the board.
DIR. Cox then proceeded to give his
OBJECTIONS TO THE BOX SYSTEM,
az advocated by Mr.. Langston, as follows
First. 1t would be impossible to keep the boxes
IN a fit condition to remove and transport
through the streets, without offense, on account
of overflow and leakage. Probably one in ii We
flowed, causing them to be very offensive, the
surface being smeared, and making it necessary
to dip out some OF the material before they can
be sealed. The boxes after few months would ,
in many premises, become very filthy from the
careless habits of the people using them, rem
dering them a nuisance If carried through the
streets. Second. As is well known, large pro-
portion OF the boxes now made leak when first
put in. which proves that a box TO retain the
whole fluid matter beyond possible loss, must be
made in the most thorough and careful manner,
of select materials, dovetailed joints, loaded
and bound. To utilize space the box must be
of present dimensions, and provided with an
extra top and seat-hole. These boxes and fix
lures, with iron plates and caps to guarantee
them Theoretically sealed, would probably cost
$40 each. Twenty thousand would be required,
thus creating the enormous tax of 800 900 by
their Introduction, to De imposed upon the citi-
Zens, a tax that could not be borne by many of
the poorer class. Besides these there would be
at least 500 duplicate boxes required to carry on
the removal, at an expense of 81, 900, which must
be paid either by the city or the scavengers.
Third. The act OF removing the box from its
position in the priyy. when not convenient to
draw il out endwise, demands more labor than
might he supposed. The legal privy-box used
has a capacity of forty five gallons, water
weighs eight pounds TO the gallon; privy- box
full of water would therefore weigh three hun
bred and sixty, plus the box, or forty pounds,
making four hundred pounds. But night-soil
is much heavier than water, and the privy box
full of that material v ould weigh at least $50
pounds-too heavy to be handled. Besides, so
heavy a box would be constantly liable to fall
while removing it, and if 1t fell with such q
weight womb evidently be broken and its CON-