meeting of the local sanitary, to make suggestions to the same, and where he may deem it necessary, shall have power to institute legal proceedings against the sanitary authority for neglect of sanitary statutory obligations.

μ. That the heads (masters and mistresses) of every Public Elementary School (under the Public Elementary Education Act) be required to transmit to the local registrar (or medical officer of health) weekly returns of children absent from the school on account of sickness.

v. That birth, death (medical) and burial (registrar) certificates be required in the case of still-born children, as in ordinary cases.

Since uniformity of compilation greatly facilitates statistical reference, forms for these several returns, and even a model form for annual reports (at least as to statistical headings) would be extremely useful.

7. Is intended to meet the difficulty of getting birthreturns, since they are not allowed by the present Act, and to provide those other-named important rates which are not now directly obtainable, or are only optional as to provision.

d. Is intended to provide fair remuneration for services instead of such existing salaries as 5., 10., 15., 20., in fairly populous districts, where it would seem that the aim of the sanitary authority is to do as little as possible.

e, S, λ. Would keep the central authority fully acquainted with the sanitary condition of every district, and the publication of the statistics of salient points in each in the form of a blue-book or otherwise would form a valuable source of information to medical officers of health, etc., for reference of comparison of district health-rates,

etc.

v. Would allow statistics to be complete by the showing of birth and burial of still-born children, the latter being now unaccounted for.

Some such regulations as these would put a stop to the almost farcical manner in which sanitary measures are carried out in some districts. Until the sanitary education of the people shall be sufficiently advanced to entrust every locality with the discharge of its sanitary obligations, legislation in these matters must be compulsory and less permissive than hitherto. May 15, 1877.

AN URBAN DISTRICT M.O.H.

MR. ALDERMAN TAYLOR ON THE GOUX SYSTEM.

(To the Editor of the SANITARY RECORD.) SIR,-I have examined the specification of M. Pierre Goux, No. 566, 1868, referred to by Mr. Alderman Taylor, and find that it contains sketches and descriptions of tubs or receptacles of various shapes and sizes, both large and small. It is evident from this specification that the Goux is in no way indebted to Rochdale for its tub.

As to comparative cost, Mr. Alderman Taylor, in a report to the Town Council in 1868, estimates the cost of the Goux alterations at 17. per closet, and that of the 'Haresceugh box system' at 1l. 125. This Haresceugh or box system was the so-called original Rochdale system, which has since developed into the Taylor-Rochdale system, and which in whole or part was patented by Mr. Alderman Taylor in 1871, No. 1969, three years after that of M. Goux.

The paragraph complained of and traversed by Mr. Alderman Taylor is quite correct, and as a matter of fact it is true that to Mr. Coroner Molesworth's advocacy of the Goux system in Rochdale in 1868 the improvement in the Rochdale middens owes its origin. It is equally correct that, so far as size and construction of closets and tubs and the mode of collection is concerned, the Goux and the Rochdale systems are practically identical, save that at Rochdale the absorbent lining has been discarded, and a liquid disinfectant used in its stead. In writing the report on the Conference, I endeavoured without bias or partiality to present to your readers a faithful résumé of the

discussions. A glance at your contemporaries will at once confirm the accuracy of your comments.

THE WRITER OF THE ARTICLE ON
THE SEWAGE CONFERENCE.

PLANS FOR DWELLINGS

(To the Editor of the SANITARY RECORD.) SIR,-I wish to make some inquiries from the Local Government Board, as to passing or rejecting plans for dwellings by Urban Sanitary authorities. Could you please inform me who is the proper party to apply to and address? Kirkham, Lancashire. E. H. HARGREAVES.

Notices of Meetings, etc.

NATIONAL HEALTH SOCIETY.

Lectures on the following subjects will be delivered under the auspices of this society, in the rooms of the Society of Arts, John Street, Adelphi, at 4.30 P.M. :— June 6, Rev. Harry Jones, M.A., rector of St. George'sin-the-East, 'Homes of the London Poor;' Thomas Hughes, Esq., Q.C., in the chair. June 13, Ernest Hart, Esq., M. R. C. S., 'Coffee Taverns for the People;' His Eminence Cardinal Manning in the chair. June 20, Dr. Bridges, F.R.C.P., 'The Influence of Civilisation upon Health.' Members of the Society (subscribers of one guinea) are entitled to a ticket for the course. Single Admissions Is.; Reserved Seats, 5s. for each Lecture. Special arrangements can be made for schools, nurses, bible women, and domestic servants. Communications to be addressed to the secretary, 44 Berners Street, Oxford Street, W. Tickets to be obtained at the office, 44 Berners Street, W., or can be forwarded by post on application. Payments can also be made at the door.

THE METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY.

THE usual monthly meeting of this society was held on Wednesday the 16th inst. at the institution of Civil Engineers; Mr. H. S. Eaton, M.A., President, in the chair.

Stephen Bretton, J. Gulson Burgess, David Milne Home, and F. Gartside Tippinge were balloted for and elected Fellows of the Society.

The following papers were read :

An improved Form of Mercurial Barometer,' by R. E. Power, F.M.S. The improvement consists in the use of a double column of mercury so that in the event of a vacuum being formed by the escape of some mercury into the cistern, the shock is no longer felt by the tube, but in the first place is received by the mercury alone and then reflected much diminished into the cistern, where it is modified by the presence of the atmosphere. At the same time, owing to the peculiar construction of the cistern, the probability of any mercury leaving the tubes is much less than in the case of the standard barometers at present in

use.

It is also believed that the employment of the double tube will do away with the necessity of boiling the mercury. "The Relation between Upper and Under Currents of the Atmosphere around Areas of Barometric Depression,' by the Rev. W. Clement Ley, M.A.F.M. This paper gives a description of the mean directions of the movements of cirrhus clouds over the different segments of areas of depression. The subject is treated on its observational side, as it is not yet considered ripe for much theoretical discussion, but one or two points seem likely to throw some light on the theory of the movements of the atmosphere. The direction of the upper currents round a depression is found to be most intimately related to the direction in which the depression itself is progressing. In the rear of a depression where the mean direction of the surface winds is nearly parallel to the isobars, or at right angles to the radius, the cirrhus current almost coincides with the surface

Original Papers.

THE LOCAL

AND THE SYSTEM.

GOVERNMENT BOARD LIERNUR

BY ADAM SCOTT, C.E.

THE opening sentence in the recent report of the Local Government Board upon the Liernur Sewerage System (which report is commonly called Mr. Rawlinson's report), states that the system known by the name of its inventor, Captain Liernur, is one for dealing with the solid of human excreta, not with town sewage.' Strange to say, Captain Liernur believes, notwithstanding Mr. Rawlinson, that his system does deal with the whole of town sewage, and points to his writings to prove it, and to the writings published by me in this country; and, marvellous to say, the Government Sanitary Board of Holland, after carefully watching the operation of those subdivisions of the Liernur System adopted in that country for at least six years, have (also notwithstanding Mr. Rawlinson), unanimously rejected the water-carriage system, as dangerous to public health inside the cities,' and recommended the adoption of the Liernur system all over Holland, except in places where the population were too scattered. Remembering Mr. Rawlinson's description of the system as one only for dealing with the solid of human excreta, the reader will perhaps be surprised at the following resolution passed by the said board:

'No other system answers so fully and so well all the claims that can be put to the collection and removal of excremental matter, of slops and house water, and of the soiled waste water of factories, and to the regulation of the subsoil water, as the Liernur system does, as well from a sanitary as from an aesthetic, technical, and economical (agricultural and financial) point of view.'

What is the Liernur system, it may be asked? and briefly the answer is as follows: It consists of several subdivisions. By the pneumatic subdivision, excremental matter, solid and fluid, and the sedimentary products of kitchen-sinks separated from the bulk of the water accompanying them, are to be collected, and utilised by being reduced into a concentrated dry product, containing all the manurial ingredients of the original fluid. By the sink sediment separator all air connection between houses and sewers is cut off; and by the pneumatic system all excremental pollution of air, soil, or water is rendered impossible. Water-closets, or closets without water (the poor man's closet), can be used. Manufacturing refuse is purified separately. Street detritus is not allowed to enter sewers, being detained by upward filtering mud-gully buckets, and removed by scavengers. Sewers, where not already existing, are constructed differently to those generally built, being made impervious to prevent pollution by sewage of the subsoil of towns, and the subsoil is systematically drained by agricultural drain-pipes. Common sewer water, where required, is purified by Excremental matter, street gas-coke filtration. detritus, manufacturing refuse, and sink sediment, being kept out of sewers, this purification is simple and inoffensive, and the coke, being afterwards used for the pneumatic furnaces, the cost is that of labour only. No enormous intercepting sewers are required, he purification taking place wherever large sewers,

paper, and spoke twice in the discussion (see Journal). Let us charitably assume that in saying the Liernur system was simply one for dealing with the solid only of human excreta and not with town sewage, and in omitting all reference to any other subdivision but the pneumatic one, while practically blaming Captain Liernur for not dealing with other sewage than solid human excreta-let us assume that Mr. Rawlinson was afflicted with an entire loss of memory.

The same cause can scarcely account for what on the face of the facts would appear to be numerous errors, misrepresentations, and suppressions in the report. Of the character of simply a few of these the reader may judge for himself. I will state the facts and authorities in parallel columns with what the report states, and leave the reader to draw what inference he pleases :

The Report.

1. The Local Government Board Commissioners commence by saying that the Liernur System deals only with the solid of human

excreta.

2. The Commissioners say they visited Dordrecht and inspected the Pneumatic System there.

3. The Commissioners say that the Liernur closets without water 'depend for their action upon a perambulating turncock,' viz., upon air suction to empty them.

4. The Commissioners, reasoning on what they think must happen with this closet of their own invention, go on to say, 'If the servants pour in slops, and the pan is full before the time for turning on the vacuum comes round, full it must remain, and if there is overflow, the nuisance must be endured. This would be found intolerable in English houses.' this mean that such over

Remarks.

I. There are no means in the closets of separating the fluids from the solids. The Commissioners do not describe any provision for such separation; on the contrary, they say the closets are used like water-closets.

2. The Commissioners did not visit Dordrecht, nor did they apply to the authorities for any official information whatever. Yet I had previously informed them that in that town alone would be found the permanent central station arrangements of the system, those in other towns being mostly provisional only.

3. These closets do not depend upon a perambulating turncock for their action, nor do they require to be by air-suction. emptied They empty themselves by gravity.

4. This theory so gravely put forward falls with the false premises on which it is based, viz., that the closets require to be emptied by air-suction. In passing, let me remark that there is no pan to get full. The closet is a funnel with direct open syphon-connection with the soil-pipe. To try and fill that funnel by pouring in slops would be like Does trying to fill a bottomless possibility. Still it is quite quart pot-simply an imtrue that if Mr. Rawlinson poured slops into the sea, and if in consequence the sea overflowed, the nuisance must be endured.

flows would be tolerable in

a Dutch house?

The Report.

5. Of course it would be expected that such an important favourable opinion as that of Mr. Rawlinson referred to opposite would be found in his report, the inoffensiveness of the conveniences in the houses, being certainly a very vital point. Not one word, however, of this appears in the report, nor any favourable allusion at all. On the contrary, the public are left to believe the closets to be the disgusting things described at 3 and 4, and care is taken by suppressing the favourable information to prevent the unfavourable impression thereby created being disturbed.

Remarks.

5. Mr. Rawlinson is reported to have said to the deputation from the Winchester corporation who visited him, as published in their local paper, that the Liernur closets without water 'were inoffensive on account of the perfect ventilation and the downdraught.' To the Borough engineer of Southport, he also made this noteworthy statement: 'I did not believe you when you said these closets were inoffensive, nor did I believe Mr. Scott, but now I have seen them myself they certainly are inoffensive.'

Dr.

For confirmatory evidence as to the inoffensiveness of these closets by those who have seen them in all classes of houses in Holland, I refer to that given by the following gentlemen. In most cases the evidence is published and shows the Liernur closets to be superior to ordinary English waterclosets as regards freedom from all effluvia. Buchanan, medical inspector of the Local Government Board, chairman and deputation from Chorlton sanitary authority, A. J. Bennett, Manchester; Messrs. Maxwell and Tuke, architects, Bury; Southport Corporation deputation; Colonel Haywood, engineer to and sent by the Corporation of the City of London; W. Allan Carter, C.E., Edinburgh; A. L. Cousins, C.E., Dublin; Councillor Tickell, Dublin Corporation; G. Macnie, Dublin North Union sanitary authority; A. R. Abbott, Tottenham sanitary authority; W. G. Flynt, Southport; Dr. J. A. Russell, late principal demonstrator of anatomy, University of Edinburgh; R. Carr Harris, C. E., Ottawa, Canada; Dr. Gordon K. Hardie, late Inspector-General of Hospitals; T. A. Paget, C.E., London; John Lessels, architect, Edinburgh; Dr. Ritchie, Belfast Corporation; M. Ogle Tarbolton, C.E., Nottingham; Colonel Waring, C.E., Boston, U. S. A.; and W. A. Power, commissioner sent by the Irish Local Government Board.

The Report.

6. The pneumatic system the Commissioners say 'is complicated in its construction and working arrangements and consequently liable to derangements which are sometimes difficult to mend.'

Remarks.

6. The statement of the Amsterdam Alderman of Public Works (the highest authority on the question) 31st July, 1875, says The results obtained cannot be called otherwise than satisfactory. What many deemed impracticable has proved practicable; what seemed complicated is now to most men plain and easy.'

The Secretary of the City of Leyden testifies (Jan. 4, 1876, confirmed by letter to Society of Arts Conference under date April 28, 1877) that there are never any obstructions nor difficulties in working the Liernur system.'

The Director of Public Works, Dordrecht (see So

Remarks.

ciety of Arts Conference, 1876) says, 'The Pneumatic System of collection leaves nothing to be desired.

I cannot fail to utter the wish that its adoption may soon become very general.'

No other towns in Holland have the Pneumatic System in operation.

As

7. Mr. Kist says, there appears to be a misapprehension that the town council have resolved not to extend the system, I beg to state this is a mistake. It has given such perfect satisfaction that divers commissions in separate reports have recommended the preparation of plans for extension to the whole town. The obstacle has solely been the financial one; and this I have no doubt will, by the manufacture of poudrette, as shown experimentally at Dordrecht, be overcome. The authorities paid an official visit of inspection to the manufacture at Dordrecht, but the question of extension has not yet come up again for consideration.'

8. Mr. Kist further says that he saw the Commissioners (and they say he showed them the works) and he says he gave them the strongest possible testimony of the undoubted technical success of the system.' I may add that all other deputations that have seen Mr. Kist tell me that he gave them similar testimony, and none of them have been misled by him on this point or that dealt with under 7.

9. The authorities at both Amsterdam and Leyden have stated officially in writing that they are not troubled by leakages-in fact, that leakages do not occur.

10. Might I not ask the Institution of Civil Engineers to offer a prize for an essay on these wonderful engineering revelations, adding for consideration the question whether, in a similar way, the power of a donkey and steam to move solids is not also as their relative weights and velocity?

By the way, those who have seen the Liernur manure as it exists in, and comes out of, the pneumatic system, say there are no

The Report.

II. The Commissioners say that Captain Liernur " proposes to dry the manure, and that this process must, however, greatly reduce any remuneration to be obtained by sale.' Mr. Rawlinson, at the Society of Arts (see 'Journal'), April 7, 1875, said he 'would strongly advise Captain Liernur not to attempt it, as it would only complicate the system still more, and probably the product would be less valuable as a manure than in its present concentrated form' (viz., a bulky fluid !)

Remarks. such things as solids to be found.

Commissioners to inspect it was sent by permission of the authorities, based on the fact that it was understood that they condemned the process as being practically an economic impossibility. Their report was not then by some months issued. Mr. Rawlinson declined the invitation, and in his letter Isaid that even if he could go the Local Government Board 'could not interfere between Captain Liernur and the public.'

The Irish Local Government Board did send, and, in their report and by their own analysis, value the poudrette at 97. per ton.

To

I have no access to the dictionaries in use at the Local Government Board, but apparently interference' to set right a palpable wrong is not in accordance with its customs, and the meaning of the word is different to that generally understood. circulate untruths world-wide, to misrepresent and to suppress truth regarding the Liernur system, is not an interference between Captain Liernur and the public, but to set right a misconception would be an interference indeed.

I have only noticed some of the most prominent points in the report. I have said nothing of my warning about certain officials who had been guilty of administrative irregularities in connection with the system at Amsterdam; nor of the fact that the commissioners, in spite of that warning, threw themselves into the arms of those very officials, and those only; nor how they entirely neglected my recommendation, that if in that town they saw in places matters that were not quite satisfactory, they should consult the plans furnished to the town by Captain Liernur, and they would find that such plans had not been followed by such officials; nor many another matter noticed in the report that ought to be severely criticised.

I must add that Captain Liernur disclaims all responsibility for the financial results derived from the sale of fluid manure. He has provided the means for converting it into poudrettes, capable of being stored and sent to the manure markets of the world. If authorities do not carry this out, it is not his fault, yet the commissioners visit on his head the sins of the others; but they should have been aware, from his and my writings, that he was not responsible.

Having in vain attempted to obtain from the Local Government Board redress, or at least an inquiry into the facts of the case, I have only one resort left, and that is the press. If I have, as I think I have, made out a primâ facie case for inquiry, I hope the press will support me.

DIFFICULTY.

IN order to grapple successfully with the 'Sewage Difficulty' it is above all things necessary to understand or comprehend where the difficulty lies, and what it consists of.

In its simplest form, the sewage difficulty is the difficulty connected with collecting and disposing of the daily excrement of the people, and also the slop or refuse water from our households. Other difficulties have been superadded in the shape of the natural rainfall and even the drainage of homesteads, farmyards, and cattle folds, but as these are voluntary difficulties they need not be considered at all. The sanitary authority that hampers itself with troubles by attempting to purify storm-water or to provide improvident agriculturists with drains for their yards deserves neither pity nor help. Stormwater may occasionally be used for its flushing powers, but it is quite out of place as a rule in sewers.

The first thing to be considered is whether there shall be sewers or no sewers. There are thousands of places where the benefits conferred by sewers are by no means commensurate with their cost. In populous places-by populous is meant not absolute number but comparative number on a similar areait will often be found that combination and sewage construction will be cheaper than individual drainage or collection. In isolated cases or in straggling villages isolated or semi-isolated treatment will on economic grounds be imperative. Another important matter must be considered before deciding for or against sewers and sewage works, and that is the nature of the natural outfall. When a good fall can be obtained, and land suitable for filtration or irrigation purposes all the year round lies handy, a great deal may be said for sewers and sewage works. But where nature's hand is adverse, and when no fall and no land out of reach of floods can be obtained, the expense of pumping must be taken into consideration.

Few will be found to oppose sewers and sewage works where (1) there is a compact population; (2) a good fall; (3) land at the outfall not liable to be flooded; (4) the separate system. In all such cases sewers by all means, and if a plentiful supply of water can be obtained, water-closets.

Old sewage dangers and mistakes must be avoided, and they are chiefly these:

Too large sewers and of defective shape and imperfect materials, i.e., brick, unsocketed pipes, or

stone.

Direct communication of houses and sewers.
Defective closets, pipes, and trappings.

Therefore sanitary socketed pipes, ventilation, direct disconnection of houses and sewers, and simple water-closets with ample flush power, must be sine qua nons in all new sewage schemes. The treatment at the outfall will depend on local considerations, but utilisation by cropping is always to be preferred to mere filtration.

But it may and will often happen that for local