Q. Enclosed please find diagram of our office, with drainage arrangements, which are defective to the extent that at times we are almost driven from the building on account of foul gases. Any suggestion you can make will be thankfully received and acted upon. I may say we have a bountiful supply of water for the water-closet.

A. From the sketch sent it looks as though your water-closet trap syphoned itself out whenever used, the vent to protect it being placed inside the seal instead of outside. If this is so, the gases from your cesspool would naturally be drawn into the warm interior of your house, rather than up the vent-pipe on the outside, especially at this time of the year.

Figure 6g.

A - Vent from cesspool.

B - Vent from water-closet trap.

C - Steam-pipe.

D - Cesspool.

E - Overflow.