No fixture is so liable to become unclean and foul smelling as a urinal, owing to the rapid decomposition of the urine. A small amount of urine spattered over is apt to become quite offensive. Urinals, therefore, require a very liberal amount of flushing water, running either in a constant stream, or else delivered automatically through flush tanks at frequent intervals. The material for urinals should be non-absorbent and non-corrosive.

Swinging and lipped urinals have been much used in modern private residences, but I should certainly advise doing aw with them entirely, as a properly constructed water closet may safely take their place.

For offices, however, and public places, such as hotels, schools, railroad depots, places of amusement, etc., they become a necessity, but should be under constant supervision of a conscientious janitor, and should receive a thorough cleaning with hot water and soap, at least once a week, and preferably oftener. The ventilation of urinal apartments should also, for reasons stated above, receive careful attention.

Three kinds of urinals are in use, viz.: single lipped bowls, fastened along a wall, or in corners, and generally known as "Bedfordshire" urinals; urinal troughs and round urinals.

Lipped urinal bowls are made in earthenware and of enameled iron; the latter, however, cannot be recommended, as the enamel is apt to scale off, leaving the iron to corrode quickly. A number of porcelain lipped urinals is frequently placed along a wall, with board, slate or marble partitions between them. They are sometimes flushed by a stop-cock, to be turned by hand, which is an unsatisfactory device. Not only is the opening of the stop-cock frequently neglected, especially in public places, but a flush directly from the supply pipe will, in most cases, be insufficient thoroughly to rinse the sides of the urinal. If located in upper stories, the pressure is at times insufficient to fill the pipes, and air, possibly tainted and filled with disease-breeding- germs, may be sucked into the supply pipes, on opening the stopcock.

A much better flush can be obtained by supplying flushing water to the urinal from a special cistern, worked by chain and handle. For public places, however, where urinals are mostly used, I consider an automatic arrangement as being much superior. This may be accomplished by operating the flushing cis tern from the door leading to the urinal; or else a treadle action flushing apparatus may be used. Both arrangements are liable to get out of order, and preferable to either is a siphon tank, such as Field's annular siphon, or Guinier's siphon tank, and tilting tanks, such McFarland's tank and others.

Modified forms of the Bedfordshire urinal have recently been manufactured both in England and in this country, which seem to possess many advantages over the common forms, the bowls being shaped so as to hold water (similar to a wash-out closet) to a certain depth. Such improved urinals are, for instance, Stidder's urinal and the Armstrong urinal. With them the urine is immedi-ately diluted with water, and consequently it is much easier to keep the bowl clean by frequent automatic flushing.

Urinal troughs are made of wood lined with lead, or of galvanized or enameled cast iron, or else of slate.

Round urinals are adapted to out-of-door location, in parks, etc.; they have a large circular bowl, holding a body of water, with a number of projecting lips around its circumference, separated by suitable slate partitions.

A constant stream of water should trickle into trough or round urinals, in order frequently to change the water in the bowl, and to secure an immediate and thorough dilution of the urine.

A modification of the trough urinal is sometimes constructed as follows: The brick wall of the urinal apartment is suitably prepared so as to be impervious and non-absorbing. No material is better than slate for this purpose. A horizontal supply pipe is fastened to the wall about five feet from the floor, running from one end of the trough to the other. It is provided with a large number of openings, or sometimes with a water spreader, from which the water is con stantly trickling down the walls. The floor should be made equally impervious, and should have a gutter with sufficient fall to carry off the water mixed with urine. The whole floor should be constructed sloping toward this gutter. Suitable stands or gratings are sometimes provided at the stalls, which are separated by marble or slate partitions. The outlet in the gutter must be provided with a strainer to prevent obstructions of the trapped waste pipe attached to it.