What shall we do with our refuse? : a contribution to the discussion of the sewage question, at the Manchester and Salford Sanitary Association / by Henry Simpson.

  • Manchester and Salford Sanitary Association.
Date:
1869
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: What shall we do with our refuse? : a contribution to the discussion of the sewage question, at the Manchester and Salford Sanitary Association / by Henry Simpson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    He says that “wood-ashes possess a very decided deodorizing property ; being in fact little inferior to carbolic acid. In his summary he says:—“ For the deodorization of vegetable matter or offal that cannot be immediately disposed of, the zinc [meaning a salt of zinc] and sawdust mixture would answer perfectly. In its absence, or in the absence of carbolic acid. . . wood-ashes afford by far the best substitute. Wood-ashes act far better than pure charcoal, and after them, coal-ashes well pounded, stand next in efficiency. Ash.es we have in abundance, and have to pay foi theii removal. Separate them from the cinders, which should be burned, though they are now too often wasted, in spite of Pro¬ fessor Jevons telling us we shall soon be short of coal; then apply them either alone or mixed with earth to the excieta, and you will render them a valuable commodity, instead of useless refuse. And in this way the difficulty of the dry-method becomes immensely lessened. Of the various plans that we have had before us that of Mi. Morrell approaches the requirements of the case more nearly than any other. If it could be simplified in some points, as the action of the cinder-sifter, it would no doubt be improved, par¬ ticularly for very low-class property. For middle-class houses and those occupied by the better-paid artizans I should be quite willing to abide by Mr. Morrell’s judgment as to its keeping in order, even though Dr. Syson says it will not work. Mr. Mor¬ rell, as an engineer who knows the strength of materials and the strain they are equal to, will be allowed by Dr. Syson, I am sure, to be a competent judge of a question of this kind; and as an attempt to render the dry method available as a sub¬ stitute for water-closets in our houses his scheme, I think, promises more of success than anything of the kind I have yet seen, especially if a little disinfecting powder is used with the dry-ash.