XIV 



reduction of typhoid after drainage had 

 been effected. He did not contend for one 

 moment that typhoid -would be eradicated 

 from Hobart if the proposed scheme was 

 carried out, but from the results obtained in 

 other cities he believed this prevalence 

 would be much reduced. Dr. Benjafield 

 had further alleged that sewer air would 

 l)e admitted into the dwellings, and that 

 typhoid would be produced rather than 

 lessened. There was no likelihood of this 

 if the system was properly constructed. 

 Ventilation would be amply provided for, 

 and with proper trapping no such result 

 was possible. In Bristol there was a 

 system of sewerage without any venti- 

 lators at all, and although this was a novel 

 system, judging from the typhoid death- 

 rate Bristol was indeed a sanitary city. 

 He did not believe sewer air was the 

 means of conveying the typhoid bacilli, 

 the weight of evidence was very much 

 against this idea. Koch, Miguel, had both 

 failed to detect the typhoid organism in 

 sewer air, and in a recent report " On 

 the result of investigations on the Micro- 

 organisms of Sewage," by Dr. Andrews 

 and Parry Laws, for the London County 

 Council, it is stated " That the air of 

 sewers themselves should play any part 

 in the conveyance of typhoid fever 



appears to us as the result of our investi- 

 gations in the highest degree unlikely," 

 He did not believe altogether in the 

 theory of aerial infection. From his three 

 years residence in the General Hopital, 

 he had not observed a single case amongst 

 the nurses. He agreed with Dr. Bright 

 that infection was undoubtedly spread 

 by patients convalescent from typhoid. 

 In conclusion, he expressed a hope that 

 the proposed drainage would become an 

 accomplished fact. With such a system 

 Hobart would not only be one of the 

 healthiest cities, but one of the cleanest 

 in the Australasian colonies. He had 

 been in India, America, and other 

 countries, but had never been in a place he 

 liked better than Hobart, which was the 

 finest city in the colonies. It would be a 

 good business speculation to have the city 

 not only healthy as it was, but clean and 

 attractive to visitors. 



The Chairman, who mentioned he had 

 had typhoid fever in an American city, 

 said he thought more noise was made 

 about it than was necessary. He would 

 prefer to see a good water supply to a 

 system of underground drainage. 



A vote of thanks to Dr. Sprott termi- 

 nated the proceedings. 



4 



