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91
"Generally speaking, these old drains are laid in the manner
usual thirty or forty years ago, viz., with clay joints, and upon
the natural ground, without any concrete bed. These clay
joints perish or fall out, leaving open joints, through which the
sewage escapes into the adjoining subsoil. In all cases where
the drains are near the surface of the ground, such a condition of
things is distinctly insanitary.
"Soil-Pipes to W.C's.—The W.C. soil-pipes in the three turrets
are of lead, built into the walls, and without any means of access
for repairs; those in the two northern turrets are trapped at the
foot, either directly or by means of a trapped inspection chamber,
and all three rise through the roof of the turret with open ends.
I have tested with the smoke test the soil-pipes in the northwest
and north-east turrets, and found them perfectly sound. In
the same turrets I have tested the soil-pipes for syphonage,
putting in each case, two pails of water down one of the upper
closets, but did not succeed in unsealing the traps of any of the
lower ones. This is accounted for by the fact that these closets
stand in a range of three on each floor, two going into one branch,
and the third into a second branch, the two branches uniting
before joining the vertical soil-pipe. I am informed that the
soil-pipe in the south-west turret has no trap at the foot, but I
have not opened the roadway at this point. In all other respects
this soil-pipe is similar to those in the other two turrets."
"In all other cases, except the range of four closets on the
landing in the Female Pavilion, and the two single closets for
the Matron and the Assistant Medical Officer, the soil-pipes are
trapped at the foot; they are all of lead, except those to the
W.C's adjoining the four day rooms ; these latter are of cast-iron
of light rain-water section, with lead branches from W.C. to
soil-pipe. I cannot defend the continued use of these iron soilpipes
inside the building (see my remarks later on as to the iron
waste-pipes trom slop-sinks in main turrets). All soil-pipes
throughout have top ventilation."