The treatment and utilisation of sewage / by W.H. Corfield.

  • Corfield, W. H. (William Henry), 1843-1903.
Date:
1887
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The treatment and utilisation of sewage / by W.H. Corfield. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

    128/552 (page 92)
    able opin ions. 92 THE DRY-CLOSET SYSTEMS the excessive heat, the earth closet had succeeded so perfectly, that there was absolutely no annoyance of any kind. The Lancet also bears testimony to the great suc- cess of these closets at Wimbledon, and points out that it follows, as a matter of course, that they must be in every way suitable for the exigencies of rural districts. The number of closets in the camp is stated to have been 108, and of urinals 46 ; the number of volunteers was 2300, and the number of visitors 34,792. It is plain that the system was here subjected to a very severe test, especially when the excessive heat of the weather is taken into account. Unfavouv- It must, howcvcr, be observed that the o]3inion that the earth closets at Wimbledon in the year 1868 were in every way a success, although maintained by Captain Drake and Surgeon-Major Wyatt, was not shared by every one who saw their working through- out the meeting. Dr. George Johnson pointed out that there was probably some close relationship between the earth closet system and the great prevalence of diarrhoea in the camp ; and though the cause of this diarrhoea has been to a certain extent explained by the excessive heat of the weather (diarrhoea having also been very prevalent in London at the same time) and the too great use of imprudent drinks by the men, yet Dr. Reed maintains that the earth closets had a good deal to do with it. He says : The trial of the dry earth closets in 1867 proves that when they are used by a few persons only they act very well, and will answer in isolated houses where earth can be procured in such quantities as actually to smother the excreta; but the trial in 1868 proves that in camps.