Q I have for some time past been troubled with a bad odor which comes from my bath-tub, the waste of which runs into the trap of a pan-closet, which is on the other side of the partition. The soil-pipe runs full size through roof and is in full view in its course through the house, and is provided with foot-ventilation outside. Three times I have applied peppermint as described in a late issue of your paper. Twice I stopped up the roof outlet after putting in the peppermint there; also the pipe at the foot in the yard. The other time I left them open, but in neither case could I find the slightest traces of peppermint.

I am confident that the soil and waste pipes are perfectly tight, yet the smell continues.

Will you be good enough to inform me through your journal what I can do to remedy the trouble?

A. It does not follow because the soil-pipe is run through roof and provided with foot-ventilation, and that all pipes are perfectly tight, that a pint or quart of peppermint would be sure to disclose the evil arising from this particular as well as many other cases of bad plumbing. We have repeatedly pointed out the danger of connecting bath or other wastes with water-closet traps.

To make the matter plain to our correspondent, and for his benefit, and in order to satisfy others who, like him, think it is all right to go and do a job like the one in question, we ask them to take a piece of tissue-paper, wet it and place it over a bath-waste - connected like the one above described - then pull up the closet handle, or empty suddenly a pail of water into the closet, and it will be noticed that the paper has been blown off by the rise of water in the trap, which displaces a portion of the foul air in the waste-pipes into the room.

If our correspondent will call in a respectable plumber, and allow him to put a trap under the bath with a vent-pipe from same and connect the waste-pipe directly with the soil-pipe, no more bad odors will emanate from the bath.