Under each of these pipes there should be a trapped sink, connected either with the house drains, or, in certain cases, with separate ones. By the regulations made under "The Metropolis Water Act, 1871," in all parts of the Metropolis where the Water Companies give a constant supply of water, the waste pipes from all cisterns are to be converted into warning pipes, and the outlets of such pipes are to be so placed that the officers of the Companies can readily ascertain when water is flowing from them. This regulation is intended to prevent unnecessary waste of water.

Lastly, the rooms must be considered. They should, if possible, be both light and lofty; for, low, dark rooms are depressing and unhealthy, and should therefore be avoided. All the rooms, without exception, should be efficiently ventilated, not by open windows or doors alone, since, for full half the year, an open window is impossible in England, but by some plan which shall be independent of both, for we cannot, unfortunately, suspend our breathing whenever it is necessary to close door and window,

although the majority of house builders seem, if one may judge from their works, to think it the most common-place operation in nature.

An instance of this want of forethought lately came within my knowledge. Some persons who were interested in the establishment of a particular trade in the metropolis, built a small factory for the purpose, and, as usual, ventilation was left to chance. The number of persons employed, however, brought the firm under the "Factories Act," and the Inspector insisted that ventilation should be provided. The owners, being in a difficulty, sent for a carpenter and joiner, as the most likely person to help them out of it; he naturally recommended the execution of sundry carpenter and joiner's work, and proceeded to make all the windows to open, which up to that time had been, very properly, fixed. The immediate result of this was that half the persons employed caught violent colds, and the ventilation was quite a failure, for the next time the Inspector called, being a wet, windy day, all the windows were closed, and

he, not unnaturally, concluding that nothing had been done, preremptorily called upon the owners to remedy the insalubrious state of affairs. They again called the carpenter to their aid, who, resolving this time either to kill or cure, cut a large square hole in the ceiling and roof and put up a kind of lantern, with louvre board sides, over it. Probably he intended this for an exit, but having made no provision for the inlet, the cold air came down upon the heads of those who sat below quite as fast as any foul air went out.

There is nothing more injurious than want of ventilation, except perhaps a draught of cold air. Proper ventilation should never cause draught.

Intending tenants will do well to get the necessary sanitary conditions complied with, before they enter into possession. Some landlords will promise great things before the tenant is actually in the house, but after that will do nothing whatever, and the unfortunate occupier finds himself obliged, either to make alterations at his own expense, put up with annoyance, ill health, and,

may be, the death of some of his family, or, at great inconvenience, leave the house, and, perhaps, risk an action at law with the landlord.

If the landlord decline to make the necessary alterations before the tenant enters into possession, have nothing to do with the house.

To the case of inhabited houses, where ventilation or other sanitary matters are defective, most of what has gone before will apply. I would urge all persons not to allow defects in drainage or ventilation to exist an hour longer than is absolutely necessary. How many outbreaks of cholera can be traced to a defective drain or foul cesspool, and people have said "Oh, it is in the air," or in this, or in that, while thẹ real cause was, perhaps, under their very feet.

With regard to country houses, which, from their isolated position, are beyond the reach of a system of sewerage, it must be admitted that many difficulties are presented to us.

Sewage must be disposed of by irrigation

on the land, for there is no other successful method of dealing with it at present known, and therefore towns and villages have been empowered by various Acts of Parliament to acquire land for this purpose. Private persons have not this advantage and in their case the cesspool has always, until lately, been regarded as the only resource. But it is a very dangerous resource. Ask how the liquid gets away from the cesspool and you will probably be told that it percolates through the brickwork forming the sides, the bricks being laid dry on purpose, and passes into the surrounding soil. Yes, percolates under our houses, into the springs, pollutes the wells, until, as at Rugby before the sewerage works were executed, things come to such a pass that the fluid thrown into the cesspool in the morning is pumped from the well at night! Or, perhaps, the cesspool is well built and the sewage retained in it, but the mass of putrid filth must be taken away, and I suppose many persons have been disgusted at some time or other with this sickening process.

The remedy is not hard to find, but the