he
house are the water-closets. Upon the proper construction and location
of the water-closets greatly depends the health of the inhabitants of
the house. Water-closets should be placed in separate, well-lighted,
perfectly ventilated, damp-proof, and clean compartments, and no
water-closet should be used by more than one family in a tenement
house. The type and construction of the water-closets should be
carefully attended to, as the many existing, old, and obsolete types
of water-closets are still being installed in houses, or are left
there to foul the air of rooms and apartments. There are many
water-closets on the market, some of which will be described; the
best are those made of one piece, of porcelain or enameled
earthenware, and so constructed as always to be and remain clean.

[Illustration: FIG. 24.

PAN WATER-CLOSET. (GERHARD.)]

_The Pan Closet._--The water-closet most commonly used in former times
was a representative of the group of water-closets with mechanical
contrivances. This is the _pan closet_, now universally condemned and
prohibited from further use. The pan closet consists of four principal
parts: (1) basin of china, small and round; (2) a copper six-inch pan
under the basin; (3) a large iron container, into which the basin with
the pan under it is placed; and (4) a D trap, to which the container
is joined. The pan is attached with a lever to a handle, which, when
pulled, moves the pan; this describes a half circle and drops the
contents into the container and trap. The objections to pan closets
are the following:

(1) There being a number of parts and mechanical contrivances, they
are liable to get out of order.

(2) The bowl is set into the container and cannot be inspected, and is
usually very dirty beneath.

(3) The pan is often missing, gets out of order, and is liable to be
soiled by adhering excreta.

(4) The container is large, excreta adhere to its upper parts, and the
iron becomes corroded and coated with filth.

(5) With every pull of the handle and pan, foul air enters rooms.

(6) The junctions between the bowl and container, and the container
and trap, are usually not gas-tight.

(7) The pan breaks the force of the water flush, and the trap is
usually not completely emptied.

_Valve and Plunger Closets_ are an improvement upon the pan closets,
but are not free from several objections enumerated above. As a rule,
all water-closets with mechanical parts are objectionable