BY HON. W. F. TAYLOR, M.D. XXXI 



concerned, having been introduced by Asiatics and South Sea 

 Islanders. I do not think there is much risk of its gaining 

 ground here, but consider that the patients would have a better 

 chance of recovery if removed to our more bracing inland 

 districts. The experience of the Norwegian lepers who 

 emigrated to Wisconsin and Minnesota goes to show that a free 

 life in some inland districts would materially benefit the lepers, 

 without causing any risk to others. 



TYPHOID FEVER. 

 Typhoid fever is endemic all over Queensland, but is more 

 prevalent in the temperate and semi-tropical portions than in 

 the tropical. Although subject to considerable variations, it 

 has of late years been steadily declinmg, and has now diminished 

 to comparatively narrow proportions. A conjunction of causes — 

 which it would be foreign to the scope of this address to enlarge 

 upon — may in the future bring about an approach to the 

 epidemic form which raged here in 1884 and 1885 ; so that, 

 although at the present time, and for some years past, we have 

 had a comparative immunity from the disease, this experience 

 has only been similar to that of other countries in which the 

 disease is endemic, and where from time to time, it has assumed 

 epidemic proportions. However, we may be said to be 

 particularly favoured in possessing such aids to the prevention 

 of the disease as our sudden and copious rainfalls, which act as 

 splendid scavengers, washing our yards and streets, and flushing 

 our sewers, and that without endangering to any great extent 

 our water supply in Brisbane at all events ; for fortunately we 

 are not dependent on the Brisbane River below Mount Crosby, 

 and not even altogether on that river, but have our reservoirs at 

 Enoggera and Gold Creek, which give us a softer and more 

 palatable quality of water, and when properly filtered is all that 

 can be desired in potable waters. So far as typhoid fever is 

 concerned, therefore, this country is probably no better nor 

 worse off than most other countries, where the rudiments of 

 modern sanitation are carried out. I may remark en passant 

 that no disease of a zymotic type is more readily controlled by 

 efficient sanitary precautions than is typhoid fever — the principal 

 among which is a pure water supply. 



