The Rev. Henry Moule, of Fordington Vicarage, Dorsetshire, England, was one of the first to turn his attention to this matter.  With the threefold object of improving the sanitary condition of his people, refining their habits, and enriching their gardens, he invented what he called the “dry earth closet.”

“It is based on the power of clay and the decomposed organic matter found in the soil to absorb and retain all offensive odors and all fertilizing matters; and it consists, essentially, of a mechanical contrivance (attached to the ordinary seat) for measuring out and discharging into the vault or pan below a sufficient quantity of sifted dry earth to entirely cover the solid ordure and to absorb the urine.

“The discharge of earth is effected by an ordinary pull-up, similar to that used in the water closet, or (in the self-acting apparatus) by the rising of the seat when the weight of the person is removed.

“The vault or pan under the seat is so arranged that the accumulation can be removed at pleasure.

“From the moment when the earth is discharged and the evacuation covered, all offensive exhalation entirely ceases.  Under certain circumstances there may be, at times, a slight odor as of guano mixed with earth, but this is so trifling and so local that a commode arranged on this plan may, without the least annoyance, be kept in use in any room.”

The “dry earth closet” of the philanthropic clergyman was found to work well, and was acceptable to his parishioners.  One reason why it was so was because dry earth was ready to hand, or could be easily procured in a country district where labor was cheap.  But where labor was dear and dry earth scarce, those who had to pay for the carting of the earth and the removal of the deodorized increment found it both expensive and troublesome.

But a modification of this dry earth closet, the joint contrivance of an English church clergyman and his brother, “the doctor,” residents of a Canadian country town, who had heard of Moule’s invention, is a good substitute, and is within the reach of all.  This will be briefly described.

The vault was dug as for an ordinary closet, about fifteen feet deep, and a rough wooden shell fitted in.  About four feet below the surface of this wooden shell a stout wide ledge was firmly fastened all around.  Upon this ledge a substantially made wooden box was placed, just as we place a well fitting tray into our trunks.  About three feet of the back of the wooden shell was then taken out, leaving the back of the box exposed.  From the center of the back of the box a square was cut out and a trap door fitted in and hasped down.

The tiny building, on which pains, paint, and inventive genius had not been spared to make it snug, comfortable, well lighted and well ventilated, was placed securely on this vault.

After stones had been embedded in the earth at the back of the vault, to keep it from falling upon the trap door, two or three heavy planks were laid across the hollow close to the closet.  These were first covered with a barrowful of earth and then with a heap of brushwood.