New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-12-19

the same in depth, and two feet in width.
Outside OF this ia an impermeable layer
nine inches thick, composed of two thirds
Roman cement and one third mortar, and
outside OF that firm setting of brick. The
brick and cement make permanent
trough, in which the tarred box ia
placed, to be removed at least twice
every season, under the direction OF
the officers OF the company. The intro
duction of the method of conseryaucy, as
| am told by w. G. Bakes, pharmacist, who
has an establishment at Ocean Grove. has
been attended by marked Improvement
in the health of the locality. especially as
regards diarrheal affections. Driven wells
are In general use there, aud are now I'M
contaminated, unless it may be by kitchen
drainage, or by underground communica-
ton with fresh water lake receiving such
drainage in the vicinity. Moreover, kitchen
drainage is not, on this plan, excluded from
the ground. By means of pipes it may be,
and commonly is, conducted to a sunkep
barrel or shallow well at the rear end of
each lot. This minim'zes the evil. During
short summer season the natural sand
filtration may accomplish the most of what
IL needed for protection. Yet such protec-
ton is of doubtful sutficiency. Investigations
in the north of England have shown las
testified to by George Warning, Jr., on
SANITARY Drainage" atlantic MonHly,
| Ao'O"ocip iC'o, pdSc !, tnhu inc Drul
nary contents OF public sewers receiving
only Kitchen wastes, house Stops and the
washing of the streets, without any water
closet connections at all, are apparently as
foul and offensive as when they receive all
the ordure of the town. Further, the ce.
mented privies detain everything, and thus
require special arrangements 10 prevent
their tanning the air around them. Foul wa
ter closets do perceptiblv spell the atmos-
phere in some grand hotels, in unques ton.
ably salubrious localities. How is to be pre-.
vented Better than disinfeotants (which,
however, may be often usetul), will be down
ward water-clOset ventilation. The princi-
pie of this is not new, having been in use in
celebrated dissecting groom in Paris for
many years. Lewis Leeds, sanitary en-
gineer, introduced it with excellent feet
in number of United States general hos
pitals during the late war in this country.
Practically, as applicable to watering
places, hotels and boarding houses.
William G. Rhoads, of Philadelphia, has
recently obtained ample demonstration of
it's servieeableness at Atlanta City, New
Jersey. The plan is simple. 1t requires
only that the outlet pipe from each water
clio :et stould have an efficient water trap,
and that just above the trap o vent pipe
should pass off so as to enter the kitchen
chimney. The upward draft of this, the
fire being always kept burning, will insure
downward draft into (instead of out of
the water closet OF course the trap is an
essential part of this arrangement.
In reference to the whole subject of this
paper more definite and numerous facts are
wanting, such as will compel public and
private attention to what are certainly to be
regarded as at least imperfect sanitary con-
ditlons at many watering places. We need
sanitary and mortuary statistics of these
resorts. In order to obtain this information
l desire to suggest that it be required of
physicians and sanitary inquirers residing
at or visiting water places, to procure facts
bearing upon their vital statistics and SAM
tary conditions, and to transmit them, dur
ing the coming year, to the secretary of the
American Public Health Association, at
New York. The large experience and ability
OF this officer, so well known in similar use
ful labors, will insure such employment OF
the materials thus furnished as must re-
dound to the great public advantage.