es--the latter in a most
offensive condition. Finally, there were remnants of barrels of beef and
pork, in a bad state--to say nothing of other casual filth--the whole
contributing to such a stench as I had never before perceived in a
cellar.

The old physician who accompanied me had said, "We need not go farther;"
but our determination was, on full and mature reflection, to know the
worst and the whole, and we governed ourselves accordingly.

Close to one corner of the kitchen was the well, the water in which was
very low, and near to that the sink. And if the contents of the sink did
not find their way, from day to day, into the well, thus adding impurity
to putridity, it must have been in virtue of some unknown law which
stood opposed to the great law of specific gravity and attraction. It is
true that many speak of the earth as having a _cleansing_ power in such
cases; but I know of no power which it possesses of cleaning sink water,
while the latter is passing only five or six feet through it. The
coarser parts may be strained out, but the essence must remain.[F]

But our work was not yet finished. The vault, greatly neglected, was not
far from the well; and so of the pigsty. Nor was it easy to resist the
conviction that there was an underground communication between them.
Then, finally, the house instead of standing on an elevation, greater or
less,--a very common mode of building in New England,--stood in a sort
of concavity, which contained also the barn and barnyard and
woodpile;--connected with both of which was a large amount of decayed
and decaying animal and vegetable matter.

Now after such a review as this, he who could remain in doubt with
regard to the cause of existing disease, especially on its assuming the
form of bowel complaint with typhoid tendencies, must be much more
ignorant of the laws of health and disease than I was. In fact the signs
were unmistakable.

We immediately made our report to the heads of the family, and
recommended a most thorough cleansing, at once. It was easy to see that
we gave great offence; indeed we had anticipated such a result. But we
were not at all intimidated. We insisted on a work of immediate
expurgation, which was finally effected, only we could not put pure
water into the well. But we could and did require that the well water
should not be used for any thing except washing clothes.

The result was a decided and almost immediate improvement in the
condition