and with better results. Amsterdam, Holland, has used Colonel Liernur's Pneumatic System which, without water as an auxiliary and with a system of air tight reservoirs, applies pneumatic pressure to remove from the receptacles in each dwelling all the excrementa and kitchen waste produced. Concerning this system, its peculiar methods and appurtenances, the houses possess an arrangement of air tight earth hoppers and air traps, which connect with the "initial principle of the system which lies in the suction to a central public reservoir of the accumulation of focal material deposited in receptacles at separate houses, these being connected with this reservoir by air tight pipes. The reservoir being exhausted of its air, the accumulations are drawn toward it by pneumatic pressure. The deposits at each house are first removed to central receptacles in their districts, and the whole mass is by a second or even by a third operation drawn to the main depot, where it is to be disposed of according to the requirements of the conditions of health and most conveniently for agricultural use. The chief difference between this dessicated poudrette thus obtained, and guano or the manufactured poudrette of commerce, is that the matters it contains have had no opportunity to pass into a state of decomposition." This system at Amsterdam and other towns in Holland, where it has been tried, has been found to be self-supporting and profitable. Irrigation, or the system of disposing of sewage by conveying and distributing sewage over waste and sterile lands to enrich them, is a mode employed in Paris with good results. This disposition. of the sewage of Paris having reclaimed 14,000 acres of poor lands, and now thirty or forty tons of vegetables and what is equal to seven tons of hay, respectively, represent an acre's yield of this land enriched by sewage. Lastly, I wish to mention a system but lately originated by one of our own countrymen, and which I think will yet rank first in importance. I refer to the absorption drain, or sub-surface irrigation system of Col. Geo. E. Waring, which has demonstrated its practical working and ability to take high rank with the other systems, having been tested and adopted by Memphis and other smaller towns in this country. Col. Waring, in a paper read at Nashville, Tenn., says of this system, that having tested it under various conditions of climate and soil, it has proved itself of almost universal applicability. The interceptive sewerage system of London, is said to have cost that city $150,000,000, and I submit that this is a method of dealing with an existing evil that is eminently a heroic one. How many thousands of lives have been sacrificed as an oblation to this prevailing system of sewerage no one may say, but I hope the homoeopathic physicians of this country will see that they owe it to themselves, and to their profession, no less than to humanity, to take the lead in this matter, and to show that this problem is made up of many simpler propositions which often adjust themselves to each other and their surrounding conditions, and present in different instances problems which should each receive the careful attention and scrutiny which its character requires that the proper and successful treatment may be designated. SECTIONAL MEETING. DISCUSSION. DR. B. W. JAMES: The first subject I propose to take up is that of trapage for drainage uses in large cities. In our day, as is well known, there are some defects which it will be necessary probably to refer to in elucidating and illustrating the discussion on the subject. I have here several drawings which show two or three of these defects. These defects are innumerable. I will only refer to the most important. This cut (referring to a diagram) is the ordinary trap intended to be an S trap, but, as you see, the bend is so low that the water line does not reach up to the upper curve, so that the sewer gas and the impure air coming up the pipe from below comes up here, and although you think you have a secure trap it is not water tight, and the air passes up through this space, up through the closet, and into the house. Another defect is here shown very well, and that is in those cases where the trap is so placed that the weight does not operate, and gradually loses its power to hold down the trap. The most important defect is where we have a good trap but the turn is so acute that accumulations of focal and other matters occur. They form around the curve or bend, and gradually by accretion they form a syphoning point so that the water running up it drips down, so that if not used almost constantly the water will in a short time, two or three hours, or perhaps a shorter time than that, be trapped out entirely. This occurs from the accumulations at one point and a gradual carrying away of the water, leaving a dry bed instead of a perfect trap. Numerous inventions have been brought about for the purpose of remedying this defect. Here is one invented by Mr. Bower. (Diagram of trap shown and described.) Here is one on a different principle. This is a plan of Cudell's trap, (see cut 1, Dr. James' paper,) in which the water comes down here and forces its way out through the trap. Another series of traps are those made by Du Bois, (see cut 2.) He has a series of traps made, not of light, but of hard material, iron and so on, which cannot bend. He makes them of different forms so as to be adapted to different purposes. It is really an S trap. You see how it is arranged. This would be the water mark; this point is Somewhat below the water line, so that it is a secure trap so far as it goes, but there is nothing here to prevent it from being syphoned; there are arrangements so that the trap can be opened and examined at any time, and any deposit that is made here can be let out. There are two other defects which we meet with, and one of these, which most of you know and will be familiar with, occurred at Princeton, New Jersey. It was that system which is now, at Princeton, and ought to be everywhere, discontinued entirely, by which all the sewage of the house is emptied into the cesspool. Here is the defect which occurred at Princeton, from which arose the typhoid cases which occurred there. They had an old covered well off at a distance from the house. The well became filled, and then the sewage pipe became clogged, and the noxious gases, of course, escaped more or less up into the house. Independent of that the boys had thrown stones and broken the pipe through which the sewer gas came up, and as it was right on the line with the sleeping room, the escaping sewer gas blew right into the rooms. I wanted to speak upon another defect which we find in the city, and that is, carrying air away from the houses. Here was one very peculiar one (see cut 5), which was found in England. It appeared to be good engineering, at least the plumber who arranged the house had an idea that the air could be utilized again, so at the top of the main pipe he put a charcoal box for the purpose of purifying the air, and then he carried the air back again into the dwelling instead of letting it go out into the outer air. This is one of the peculiarities of some of these plumbers who have very peculiar ideas about air. As though there was not plenty of air to be had without straining it through a charcoal box in the attempt to make it pure! In continuing the subject of sewage I want to refer to one thing which I find in our system as well as in some others. This cut (No. 4), was taken from an illustration which was supposed to represent the Back-bay district of Boston. The buildings were built on made land and the foundations of the houses were laid on a series of piles. Of course, you know that new made earth will settle down, more or less, in course of time. When it does that if you have your drain pipe carried through the wall, as it must necessarily be, it will in course of time be broken. This part of the wall is perfectly good and secure, but the ground here settling carries away your drain pipe, and after awhile your sewage runs out and the emanations come up under the foundation into your cellar. A system of drainage which I wish to refer to has been adopted in Memphis. One of the principal features of that system is, that they carry off the storm water by a system of pipes specially adapted for that purpose, while another system, consisting of small pipes, carries off the sewage of the town. Of course, these pipes are made of such size as to carry off a certain amount of fluid to a certain area. These storm water pipes are not connected with the others in any way. system. They know then the capacity of the sewage of the place and make the pipes sufficiently large also to carry off a certain amount of water -flush water. This special system is flushed by what is called Field's Flush Tank (see cut 7), which is an automatic tank which flushes the system at least once in 24 hours; at one time I believe they had them so arranged as to work twice in 24 hours. Now I believe they flush them once in 18 hours. These tanks are placed at the heads of certain streets, a certain number to a certain area. The object is to flush out this sewage system in that way. You know that a certain amount of fluid running through a pipe will merely carry just a certain amount of fluid out, if it does not fill the entire area of the sewer-that is, it merely cuts its way through a certain amount of fluid and remains in the sewer, you will find impurities remaining in the sewer. This tank will hold from 30 to 40 gallons of water. The water comes in here, and this is a trap which is entirely closed here. This is built and filled with air; this place, if filled until the water reaches a certain point here, when it runs over here and by an arrangement here in this box instead of running out in a little stream it carries the air down and you have a syphon formed in there and the entire contents of the box will rush out with great violence. This is so arranged that it will run out once in 18 or 24 hours and it will carry all the impurities away with it which may be in the sewer. This system was introduced into Memphis and has worked admirably there. work in any city located as Memphis is, on an elevation. It will I am frequently called to examine houses where they have more or less sickness. I believe the most approved plan is to have the sewers, unless they are very large, egg shaped instead of oval, then to have a good descent from the house down to the sewer. The sewer itself must have a good fall in order to keep the water in motion. Then every place ought to be trapped in the house. The house pipe should be trapped; the bath room closet, the basin in the bath room should be well trapped, with the best traps known. Every trap on a drain pipe must be thoroughly ventilated. We have arrived at that point and we know that everything of that kind must be thoroughly ventilated, and if possible, and of course it is possible, we must have the pipe coming from the sewer to the house ventilated outside of the house. Then all the pipes in the house should be ventilated into a large and even sized ventilator running up to the top |