“A work sadly needed in this country, and one everybody concerned in sanitation, especially if he be a mofussil resident, should possess. We should think Mofussil Municipal Commissioners and District Board Members could hardly wish for a better guide.”

“Mr. G. W. Disney, District Engineer, Muzaffarpur, has just published an excellent pamphlet on Sanitation of Mofussil Bazaars, in which he deals with many problems of urban sanitation in a brief but satisfactory manner.”

“Mr. Disney does not pretend to do more than deal with broad principles of sanitation, and puts the information available on the subject in a convenient form, so as to facilitate the organization, and control the working of the Sanitary Department of a Municipality. This, we think, in the course of his thirty-five pages of carefully compiled information he may fairly claim to have done.”

*** “An admirable little work. It ought to be in the hands of every Municipal Commissioner and all the local authorities in the smaller towns. Mr. Disney states he is not writing for the big Municipalities, where special conditions have to be dealt with. At the same time the little volume contains suggestions that even those responsible for the good government of Calcutta might read with profit. Mr. Disney is especially strong on the necessity of a good drainage system. With regard to town sweepings the author is in favour of incineration.”

“This is a very useful manual *** The author does not lay down expensive and therefore impracticable schemes of sewage disposal, etc., but rather directs attention to the possibility of improving the resources already at the disposal of local bodies. He gives much useful information and advice as to latrines and urinals, the collection and removal of night-soil, trenching grounds, disposal of refuse, surface water drainage, and so forth. The book is illustrated with plans and drawings.”

“In his introduction Mr. Disney truly says:—‘The real secret of Sanitation is the prompt removal of fÆcal matter and refuse from the neighbourhood of inhabited buildings before it has time to decay, as in the early stages of putrefaction emanations are evolved which are highly dangerous to health; it is also an admitted fact that the common fly is a considerable factor in disseminating disease, as it conveys germs on the pads of its feet from infected matter to the food-supply of the inhabitants.’ His little brochure deals learnedly and sensibly with latrines, urinals, the collection, removal, disposal and trenching of every description of town refuse, with the water-supply from wells, and finally adds some simple rules for observance of the authorities on the break out of plague on villages or small towns.”

*** “Seeing then how deplorably backward we are in mofussil places, district, town, suburbs, and country, it seems to us we can hardly do better than adopt Mr. Disney’s system in Bengal districts. Indeed, why should Government hesitate to buy up his first edition of Sanitation of Mofussil Bazaars for gratuitous distribution to all Bengal Municipalities, in view to adopting his project in its entirety!”

“Mr. G. W. Disney has written a book on Sanitation of Mofussil Bazaars. There are many large books on the subject of Sanitation, but in a short pamphlet of 40 pages Mr. Disney has treated the subject-matter, giving useful rules and instructions in such a brief and concise manner that we have been pleased to peruse them. Mr. Disney deserves our thanks for his earnest sympathy with and thought after the inhabitants of the mofussil towns and bazaars.”

“An excellent little pamphlet on ‘The Sanitation of Mofussil Bazaars,’ has been recently published by Mr. G. W. Disney. A concise handbook of this kind was certainly needed, and this should be of great value to the Health Officer, the Engineer and the Chairman of Local Boards and Municipalities.

“The first chapter deals with latrines and urinals, and how sound Mr. Disney’s views are may be understood from the following extract from the preface:—

‘The real secret of sanitation is the prompt removal of fÆcal matter and refuse from the neighbourhood of inhabited buildings before it has time to decay, as in the early stage of putrefaction emanations are evolved which are dangerous to health; it is also an admitted fact that the common fly is a considerable factor in disseminating disease as it conveys germs on the pads of its feet from infected matter to the food-supply of the inhabitants.’

“The whole little volume is eminently practical; it is well printed, fully illustrated, and can be strongly recommended to our readers who will find many hints of use to them in their capacity as Health Officers. Our only fault with the little book is that it is too short. It might well have been expanded.”

*** “The author does not branch out into any startling theories; his work is more a handbook for those whose business embraces any matter connected with public cleanliness, and these will find that one of the most useful features of the book is the information concerning the makers and the price of every sanitary appliance mentioned. This will be found very handy by small municipalities who have here a reasonable standard of cost that will enable them to adjust their expenditure much more rapidly and avoid the useless trouble and delay of sending out for tenders—a system not always satisfactory to the purchasing body, and always troublesome to the tradesman. Mr. Disney very sensibly advises a wide distribution of small latrines rather than the construction of a few big ones—it being obvious that the general population will not walk far for the sake of cleanliness and decency. Mr. Disney preaches the doctrine of ‘little and often’ in the removal of waste matter, and it is a point in which every Indian sanitarian will agree with him.”

“True to his theories, Mr. Disney deals with drainage before water-supply. His recommendations that the water should be pumped from wells and delivered at some distance from the well-mouth are particularly sound, for there is no more fruitful source of contamination than the percolation into the well of dirty water used for washing in its immediate vicinity.”

*** “Altogether, Mr. Disney’s book is an indication of the progressive tendency of sanitation in India—it represents good work done, and will encourage the doing of more. It is sure to find a handy place on the desk of municipal secretaries and small town authorities.”

“I have just got your little book on mofussil sanitation. *** It is altogether admirable, and I am strongly recommending it. It might well have been longer.”