Safe disposal of human excreta at unsewered homes / by L. L. Lumsden, C. W. Stiles, and A. W. Freeman.

  • United States. Public Health Service.
Date:
1915
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Safe disposal of human excreta at unsewered homes / by L. L. Lumsden, C. W. Stiles, and A. W. Freeman. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    Among the advantages of the L. R. S. privy are (1) it prevents flies and mosquitoes from having access to the excreta; (2) it liquefies the fecal material and reduces its volume so that this material may be safely disposed of much more easily and cheaply than the contents of other types of privies; (3) it reduces odor and thus makes the work of privy cleaning less disagreeable, and (4) it is of simple and inexpensive construction. The volume of the effluent from an L. R. S. privy is less than half the volume of the excreta and paper deposited in the liquefying tank and thus is much less than the amount of matter which must be removed from an ordinary receptacle privy used to the same extent. The effluent is liquid and usually has only a slight odor. It is easy also to disinfect by heat or by chemical treatment, and is thus much easier to dispose of safely than are crude excreta. Water must be added to the liquefying tank from time to time; how much and how often varies with atmospheric conditions. The more rapid the evaporation the greater must be the amount of water added. Under average conditions about two gallons of water added once a week will be sufficient for a tank of 50 gallons capacity used by 4 or 5 persons. If the matter in the liquefying tank is allowed to become too much thickened proper fermentation will cease and offensive gases will be formed. Disinfectants must not be used in the liquefying tank because they stop the fermentation. As an effluent tank various receptacles can be utilized. A gal- vanized iron garbage can is quite satisfactory. If an iron pot is used, a fire can be built under it and the effluent thus can be easily and cheaply disinfected by heat.