IX 



conditions were not as complete as they might be, therefore its health 

 was bad, for during a time being a city might be in a bad state of 

 health, and yet have the best system of sanitation in the world. lb 

 seemed to be conceded on all sides that Hobart in the last two or three 

 years had been in a most satisfactory condition as regards its health, 

 but there were dififerences of opinion as to the causes. He had studied 

 the subject for many years, and still believed that whilst sanitation waa 

 valuable in reducing certain diseases, such as typhoid, the great causes 

 of such diseases were still beyond man's control. The percentages had 

 fallen low in some years before any Health Acts were passed, although 

 he admitted that in England typhoid fever cases had of late years been 

 greatly reduced. Too little credit seemed to be given to the increased 

 knowledge of medical men in the treatment of such diseases, and the 

 improved habits of the people. He agreed with Mr. Mault that sanitary 

 agencies were powerful ir.fluences in reducing the number of fever 

 cases, but they were not the only ones, and they did not produce such 

 good results as one should like to see. As to what Major General 

 Tottenham had said about the returns supplied to and u?ed by statis- 

 ticians not being reliable, the objection cut the ground from the 

 objector's own feet, as he had quoted such statistics himself. He 

 would, however, be sorry if the effect of his paper would be that 

 decreased attention would be given in Hobart or anywhere else to the 

 importance of sanitation. 



Mr. C. E. Beddome read a paper on a new variety of a Volufa 

 fusiformis (Swainson), Var. viic7'o papillosa,, accompanied by drawings 

 of the shells made by Mr. W. L. May, of Sandford. 



Two papers, prepared by Mrs. Kenyon, of Melbourne, were read by 

 the secretary, one on " Some Conchological Notes on Tasmanian Mol- 

 lusca," and the other, *' ^iotes on the EfiFects of the Atmosphere on the 

 Shells of the MoUusca." 



The meeting then terminated with the usual vote of thanks. 



