96 TYPHOID IN HOBART AND MELBOURNE, 



have been connected with the sewers, and the pan system 

 abolished, so far at least as concerns these places. Of course 

 very much remains to be done, and as was proper, the central 

 and more populous districts, and the suburbs on the line of 

 the outfall drain, were the first to benefit. Clearly the full 

 advantages from the point of view of sanitation are far from 

 being attained, but it may be possible to show that they are 

 considerable. 



It might have been expected that an enlightened self- 

 interest would have led the citizens of Hobart, as a place of 

 summer resort, to realise the enormous benefits any such 

 place must derive from a good sanitary reputation. And 

 there is nothing more likely than a fear of typhoid to check 

 the influx of visitors. Without throwing doubt at all on the 

 attractions of Hobart, both as a beauty spot and a good 

 health resort, it must be admitted that, np till quite recent 

 times, it shared the evil fame of Melbourne as a hot- 

 bed of fever. And a comparison of the mortality returns 

 brings out some striking points of similarity between the two 

 cities. Taking the period since 1890, such a comparison 

 brings out the very striking fact that the specially fatal years 

 in both places were 1890-91 and 1898, and the year between 

 these, showing the lowest typhoid mortality was also the 

 same, viz., 1898. 



The concomitant variations are much too striking to admit 

 of explanation by the easy way of " accidental coincidence." 

 They strongly confirm the opinion, which I have long held 

 and frequently expressed, that general conditions of the 

 meteorological kind have much to do in determining the 

 fluctuations of typhoid prevalence in particular localities from 

 year to year. I must admit further that my endeavours to 

 fix the exact nature of these meteorological, so-called cosmic, 

 conditions have been attended with rather a scant measure of 

 success (v. Proceedings of the Australasian Association for 

 the Advancement of Science, Vol. II., Melbourne, 1890, and 

 Australian Medical Jommal, March, 1890). And, indeed, 

 looking at the enormous fluctuations in the typhoid mortality, 

 year by year and in almost a parallel way, in the two cities, 

 it might seem as if they had been left at the mercy of these 

 general conditions np till quite recent times. 



But knowledge has grown, and from application of that 

 knowledge improvements of many kinds have resulted. And 

 just as the fatality from consumption was steadily becoming 

 less in most countries, independently of any recognition of its 

 infectious character, and without much in the way of special 

 precautions, so with typhoid the death rate has been under- 

 going diminution, even though certain essential improvements 

 may not have been adopted. 



In a paper read before the Eoyal Society of Tasmania by 

 Dr Gregory Sprott in August, 1898, the argument in favour 



