Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-20
DANGER IN THE DRAINS.
Prof. Fava Lays Down Some Rules for
Householders to Follow.

Prof. Fava, in a recent lecture at the
Columbian college, laid down few necessary
rules regarding plumbing. which he said ought
never to be forgotten. Every householder. he
said should ascertain to the best of his ability,
or ask expert help to find the most common de-
fleets of plumbing in his house. This ought es-
pecially to bed one when surgical operation or
one affecting the life of any of the inmates of
the house is about to be performed. We should
not wait until zymotic diseases, diptheria.
typhoid or enteric fever tell US that something
is wrong in the house. but minor signs, head
aches depressed vitality, sore throat, especially
among children and servants. ought to be the
last warnings allowed before taking energetic
action Every building serving for public pur-
poses. or as lodging for numerous parties. such
as hotels. tenement houses and others ought to be
frequently and periodically inspected by the
sanitary authorities. Before house is bought or
rented its sanitary arrangements ought to be
examined with the same care which is put in
buying a new horse or a new dress. If you
build new house let no drain be under any
part of It; allow no cistern or cess-pool within
or under 1t; see that no public sewer passes
under 1t at any depth; disconnect all waste
pipes and overflow pipes from the drains. and
place the soil-pipes of the water-closets outside
of the house and ventiate all pipes. If there
Is a smell of drains in your house, if YOU dis
cover damp place in the wall, near which a
waste-pipe or a soil-pipe runs. or a damp place
IN the cellar near place where a tank or drain
might be. have these places laid bare at once.
until You md the cause of that smell. Allow
no refuse collected III or near the house to stay
there long. and have it removed at short inter
walls. III possible have all pipes of sinks and
internal receptacles of Stops not flowing di-
rectly into the sewer. but first through the
outer walls into gullies. Draw no water for
cooking and drinking from the same cistern
Il. "A
water-closets. Allowing these things to take
place. Prof. Fava SAID. Is about the same as al
lowing some kind of a poison to be distributed
in small doses SLOWLY but constantly to your
family.
THE WATER PROBLEM.
Then the lecturer went over to the second
division of the course. namely water, describing
the different kinds of pure and impure water.
such as springs. deep wells. upland surface
water, as good waters; stored rain water and
surface water from cultivated land as suspicious
waters: and finally river water 10 which sewage
gains access and shallOw-well water as dam
gerOus water. This latter. he said. is an
especially important case, as il plays promi-
nent part in the economy of country houses
and the houses of villages and towns without
special water supply. Prof. Fava described
how shallow wells might be poisoned by infil-
trations from leaky drains. Heighboring cess
pools. farm manure, more or less distant cess
sOning of water in lead pipes was
the next topic. and the lecturer de-
scrlbed the dangers of allowing the house
water TO run III pipes of lead, or with sharp
turns and knees OF lead. the turns being the
most dangerous places. for beside the chemical
action which goes on in the whole pipe, he said.
there is the mechanical corrosion by the
pressure adding to the danger.
SOME RULES FOR COUNTRY HOMES
were then added, as follows: The private sewer
connecting the dwelling with the public sewer.
if there is one. or with the cesspool. as well as
traps and gullies. should be thoroughly water
tight to protect the ground from pollution.
All rooms and cellars in Easements should be
protected from the evils of uprising dampness
by a layer of concrete under the floor. by i'm
pervlOus courses in the walls and foundations
and by ventilated areas between the walls and
the outer ground. No water that does not
answer the attainable standard of purity should
be used for any domestic purposes. and wher-
ever possible 1t should be supplied directly from
Its source, or from the public supply, if there
i one. without the use of cisterns at all. At
any rate. the condition of the wells tanks and
clsterns from which the water is drawn should
be thoroughly Investigated Every country
house should have complete plan of its sewers
at hand for after reference. The arrangement
of these sewers should always be of the sim
pest kind possible, IN order TO leave as little as
possible to be rectified by the village plumber
g. The principal value of The EVENING
STAR to advertisers is the fact that it is not
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