Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-10-06
Sanitary ADVICE.

n correspondent OF the New I DIRK
Evening Post gives the following good
advice, which should be needed by all:
To THE EDITOR: Your paper, in both
its editorial and correspondence COL
umns, has been very helpful indeed in
lnstructing the people during the recent
interest on the subject of cholera, but
| there is one subject neglected SO far
that it seems to me could be ppro-
priately discussed in view of the present
state Of the public mind, even in the
daily press, and that is, the care and
| condition of the ater-closets of the
city. ! have had occasion to observe
good many of these closets, and it seems
as ifthe conception of the people in re-
gard to them was very inadequate, and
although it may not have an immediate
| relation to the cholera. it is, neverthe-
| less, a time when the importance of
| such subjects can be emphasized, and
when the people are ready to listen to
| instruction.
should say that not one person in
| fifty has any idea what the cover of a
water-closet is for. One can almost
count on the fingers of his two hands
| the number of times in a year that he
| will find the cover of closet closed; in
| fact, l know a number oflnstances where
pose of keeping the covers open when
out of use. 1t would seem almost need
| less to saw that the covers Of closets
should always be closed when not in
| use.
Then the purpose Of the water itself
seems to he little understood, most per-
sons seeming to think it's sole use is to
| wash out the closets or the sewer-plpes
| underneath. But it has two other i'm
portant uses, one being that Off seal for
| the trap, and another being that of the
actual reception OF any filth or refuse
disposed of in the closet. Anything
which soils the porcelain of water
closet above the water line should be
Immediately scrubbed off, The closet
| is only in condition to use when there
| is sufficient supply of water to receive
whateveris thrown in SO that the refuse
and filth can never come in contact with
any part of the solid material of the
closet whatever.
There are many closets in the city so
constructed that the flow of water, COM
| ing from tank at some height, is delayed
somewhat, i. e., it does not Immediately
enter the hopper after the handle is
| pulled. The design in such cases is. of
| course, to supply an adequate quantity
| of water after the trap and valve are
again closed. Such closets l often find
entirely empty, the handle having been
pulled and Immediately replaced, with
| out allowing the time necessary to start
| the flow before valve and pan are again
! closed A closet thus treated is lett in
| a dangerous condition, the trap not be-
ing properly sealed and there being no
proper receptacle for the next use OF
the closet.
Then the pans in some closets are
hung so loosely that if the handle is
merely pulled released, and left, the in
ertia of the water is sufficient
to nearly empty the, pan. whereas
| if the handle had been held in
closed position until the water
had ceased to flow, the trap would have
been fairly we'll sealed. Such closets
are out of condition and should be re-
ferred to the plumber for repairs
There are large number of closets
also-and these are particularly popu-
lar in servants Quarters-in which
there is no pan, but the hopper is in
tended, when used, to be supplied with
constantly flowing protecting, coating
of water. In many cases the flow is to
be produced by the weight of the per-
son sitting over the closet. and when
such closet is used as receptacle for
refuse thrown into it, there is only the
| dry porcelain to receive it. Such clos
cts / regard as of faulty construction,
and where they are in use, they should
be frequently scrubbed out besides be-
lug flushed with disinfectant solutions.
The points that ought to be constant
| ly impressed upon the people with re-
gard to closets are, that the pan should
| not be left until it is seen that it lis album
dainty sealed, so that the water stands
| at least four inches deep init; that only
water should receive anything that is
thrown into the hopper, no filth ever
| being allowed to touch the porcelain:
and that the covers should always be
closed. If any of these conditions can
not be secured or maintained, the closet
| is in bad order and should be referred
to the plumber or to the Board of