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44
WATER-SUPPLY.
In the large proportion of them, which are open
casks, one sees habitually a film of soot floating on
the surface; one sees (if, indeed, one can see so
deeply into water which is often turbid and opaque)
that filth and rubbish lie at the bottom; one sees the
interior of the cask itself dirty and mouldering.
I now merely glance at this part of the subject,
because you have already on other occasions allowed
me to state my knowledge at greater length. But
there is one evil in particular to which I would beg
leave to advert. Those works of drainage which
are established under your orders depend for their
efficiency on a proper supply of water; and in every
case where you enforce the construction of housedrains,
you order that those drains shall be served
efficiently with water. Your wishes on this subject
are nominally complied with by those on whom
your orders are served, but are often virtually
evaded by a filthy and ineffectual contrivance. The
butt or cistern of the house—that on which the inmates
depend for their supply of fresh and pure
drinking-water, is placed in immediate contiguity
to the privy, so as to reduce the requisite length of
connecting pipe to the fewest possible number of
inches; the application of water is not made discretionary
on the users of the privy, nor are any of
the cheap and common self-acting contrivances introduced;
but the waste-pipe of the butt or cistern
is conducted into the discharge-pipe of the privy,
so that, periodically, with a frequency varying