BY R. M. JOHNSTON, F.L.S. 17 



death-rate since the year 1880 has never attained the height of 

 tl)e minimum death-rate of all antecedent time in England. 



Now, to compare English and Australian experience by the 

 aid of the information given in Mr. Johnston's table. The 

 table as it stands is not satisfactorily arranged, as it compares 

 the experience of ten years with that of two. But, if divided, 

 as has been done with the English tables, into three equal 

 periods, a fair comparison can be made, especially as Mr. 

 Johnston's table begins at about the period of the passing 

 of most of the Australian Health Acts. The effect of the 

 passing of these Acts is thus shown in the death-rates of the 

 chief cities of the Colonies in the order given by Mr. 

 Johnston — 



Death-rates in the periods 

 1884-1887. 1888-1891. 1892-1895. 



Hobart 23-65 21-14 18-27 



Sydney 2M5 17-35 14-11 



Melbourne 20-59 20-64 16-14 



Adelaide 25-12 22-93 19-99 



— the rates beino; to the thousand livino:. To attribute this 

 diminution to anything but the coinciding adminstration of the 

 Health Acts in all the colonies shows an ignorance of the scope 

 of these Acts and of t^e manner in which they are carried out, 

 especially in connexion with infectious diseases, which are the 

 most amenable to adminstrative action, and are the chief causes 

 of periodical variations in death-rates. Every such disease 

 has to be notified to the Central Board, and immediately upon 

 such notification the local sanitary authority has to inspect 

 the premises where tlie case has occurred, and report thp 

 measures that have been taken to remove the cause and prevent 

 the spread of the disease. These measures alone have had a 

 great effect upon the death-rate ; but apart from them, the 

 routine work of the Inspectors of the local boards, especially 

 in the larger towns, has also had the result of preventing much 

 disease. And still further, in some of the colonies, in addition 

 to the general provisions of the Health Acts with respect to 

 milk and food, special legislation provides for dairy and 

 slaughter-house inspection. How all these sufficient causes for 

 the amelioration of life conditions in these colonies — paralleled 

 as they are by the action of similar causes elsewhere — can be 

 overlooked or set aside, and their results attributed to such 

 cosmic influences as periodicities in the revolution of Jupiter 

 or of the prevalence of sun-spots, passes comprehension. 



That some cosmic influences affect the irregular ebb and flow 

 of mortalitv rates is not denied. A diagram of the mortal it v 



