Commodités portatives, ou Moyens de supprimer les fosses d'aisance et leurs inconvéniens, approuvés par l'Académie royale d'architecture, par la Société libre d'émulation, par le Musée de Paris, & par toutes les personnes qui ont fait & qui font journellement usage de ces sortes de commodités, depuis dix ans [...].

8vo: [4]-iv-69-[2] pp.; 2 pl. (spotting, some marginal stains on the 1st lvs).

Modern marbled paper Bradel binding.

First edition of this fascinating treatise in which Giraud (1744-1814) presents a movable toilet of his own invention, designed for the old, infirm or ill. He also recommends it for those who wish to have a "WC" close to the bedroom, or for those who desire to be private (as it can be moved "behind closed doors"). Illustrated (complete) with 2 folding plates engr. by Gaitte. The work also covers the general hygienic and sanitary implications and the actual technology of human waste disposal. Giraud points out the health risks of open sewers and cess-pools, as well as emphasising the problem of smell. He describes in great detail closed tanks, or barrels, into which sewage should be directed from the various "evacuation" points of a house, specifying the addition of water and chemicals to ease disposal and dispel the smells.
Ref. Conlon 86:1296. - Blake 176. - CCFr.