The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1877-03-17
THE PACIFIC
r II.

~6 - ~ 1ES1 W1oN NNDNA W. 49,
prove a very disagreeable topic. Our remarks at
present are intended to suggest some means of
removing the evils with which the city is threat
ened by defective sewerage. Since our last arti-
Gle was written, we have been engaged in the
perusal of some comments upon Baron Liebig's
" Organic Chemistry applied to Agriculture and
Physiology" wherein the question of the dis
pOsal of fecal matters, or "nigbt-soil is
treated at considerable length. The common
tator in question begins by saying that the great
Liebig remarked :|f the coming generation will
consider those men as the greatest benefactors of
mankind who devote all their efforts to save the
n~ight-soil of the cities" Such is the opinion of
an enlightened Economist upon this question,
and it OPPORTUNITY comes in aid Of the impera-
tive requirements of Hygiene. For, while
hygienic principles demonstrate the absolute
necessity of preventing the accumulation of fecal
matter in populous centres, the enlightened
Baron's scientific studies show how this same
fecal matter ,-oth1rwise calculated to poison the
very air we breath, when incautiously allowed to
accumulate upon our premises,cmay be made a
real source of gain to individuals and the state,
through its judicious disposal, with the help of
science. In support Of this assertion we may
cite here the following statistical Information =
In Paris, the Municipality is paid annually the
sum of l 900 900 francs $500, O00) for the right
of disposing of the fecal matter of the city and
the contractors make a net profit of another mil
lions Of francisco that, the fecal matter of
Paris may be set down at 2 ZOO, 900 francs, total
| proft-and this sum does not include the outlay
to the contractors for the collection, treatment
and sale of the fecal matter itself. The contents
of the closets (Cabinets) are not suffered to run
into sewers but are removed periodically by the
contractors in carts for that purpose, and sub
sequently undergo a chemical process, after
which the mass is sold for manure. AS another
instance, we may adduce the case Of the city OF
Antwerp, where formerly the removal of Che
city refuse cost the Municipality 25 900 francs
yearly whereas, at present, the fecal matter Of
the city yields an important revenue, estimated
at a quarter of a million of francs. Ammonia
and phosphoric acid are the principal fertilizing
agents in the human fecal matter and where
this can be turned to use in p~opulous centres,
the estimate Of 500 yearly for every inhabitant
is considered not exaggerated. A scientific
writer, Leppmann, has estimated that, in Mu-
Mich, the Capital of Bavaria, by not utilising
the fecal matter, nearly two million pounds of
nitrogen are lost annually. which he values at
half a millions of dollars; and he adds that,
while this waste goes on, the country is engaged
in importing Peruvian guano at immense cost.
From the foregoing remarks it appears that
the fecal matter of pOpulous centres, the disposal
of which occasions 80 great perplexity, may be
tnrned to the most important use, and become
highly valuable for the Agriculturist. The old
| system OF carrying off in underground sewers the
fecal matter of p~opulous centres, and finally dis
charging it into rivers or the sea, has latterly
given place, as in the instance of Paris above
| cited, to the construction of water-tight earth
closets, which can be emptied periodically, while
their contents are constantly submitted to the
| action of chemical disinfectants. We happen to
know of several households in Honolulu and its
vicinity, where the earth-closet plan has been in
very satisfactory operation for q number of
years. Various sorts of disinfectants have been
tried with varying results. Thus, DR.. Julius
Dotch, of Washington, has patented an applica-
ton of prepared earth, which contains clay,
| sulphuric and nitric acid, and this is spread in
thin layers over the fresh faces their ammonia
is taken up by the s~ulphuric acid, and the nitric
acid prevents the development of sulphuretted
hydrogen. DIR. Moule brought out an earth
| ClOScG, WHlCn 10 very muCA ocC0 III 0ASSOAAo
| Colony, Australia. The disinfectants employed
obtain u highly valuable manure, and somewhat
similar to DIR. Moule's is Mr.. Stanford's system,
except that his disinfectant is seaweed charcoal.
General Scott proposed a process for precipitat-
ing the sewage with lime, but this involved the
loss of the ammonia of the faces. In short, the
earth-closet with proper disinfectants and the
periodical removal of its contents for agricul-
tural purposes as manure, appears to be the very
best mode of d~isposing of fecal matter, when it
is practicable and it ought always to be prac-
ticable, wherever there is a brisk demand for
manure for agricultural purposes.
How far these general remarks upon this awk-
ward subject may be applicable to our own case,
must be determined by those who are charged
with the important duty of looking after the
hygienic conditions of this city. In conclusion,
we may add that Baron Liebig highly approves
of mixing the 90 night-soil" with finely divided
charcoal and mud with the addition of a small
quantity of some cheap mineral acid for retain
ing the ammonia. He points out that the ashes
of peat or coal are invaluable for fixing the am
moniacal salts of urine and " night-soil." as
they generally contain magnesia, which unites
with the phosphoric acid and ammonia, forming
the double Phosphate, Wnlcn e4ers d very iH'ot-
able influence upon vegetation. We refer our
readers, and legislators, who may be interested
in this most important subject, to the Baron's
authoritative work above cited. We think, too,
that no time should be lost, in taking this matter
in hand, as from the total absence for several
months of the North East Trade-winds, which
we may call after the Cape folk style Our
Hawaiian Doctor the unwholeSome and pes
tileutial efluvia, arising from our reeking cess
pools have had full leisure to permeate our
atmosphere, poisoning the air we breathe, and
almost certainly scattering the germs of some
fatal disease, whose outbreak may suddenly
erHhe us with a far more terrible calamity