486 The Public Health. [ Oct., 
Hence overcrowding of the population everywhere exists; small 
houses for working-men are scarcely to be met with, and lodgings 
are also over-filled. Children everywhere swarm the roads, alleys, 
and public squares ; whilst the prevalence of low habits of intoxica- 
tion amongst almost all classes of society adds fearfully to the illness 
of the population. Delirium tremens, jaundice, dropsy, Bright’s 
disease, and various forms of mania prevail as the results of 
these fearful breaches of social morality. 
A large and commodious lunatic asylum has already become 
over-filled, as the consequence of this prevalent source of lunacy, 
pauperism, and crime. 
What the Liverpool and Leeds Canal is to Liverpool, and the 
Froome to Bristol, that the river Clyde is even, m a greater 
degree than either, to Glasgow—the magnificent city to which it 
should bring health as well as wealth—an open sewer, breeding 
disease and abetting death in the havoc which he commits amongst 
its population. But when we say that the Clyde is a more serious 
danger to Glasgow than similar receptacles of filth are to other 
large towns, it is not intended as a condemnation of those who 
have the guardianship of the public health in that city. 
Until about four years ago, the Health Authorities of Glasgow 
scarcely had any real or defined existence; since then, however, 
there has been a very marked change for the better. The Police 
Board, consisting of one of the three Town Councillors from each 
of the sixteen municipal wards, may be said to be the executive. 
It has for several years embraced a Sanitary Committee, the Chair- 
man of which, Mr. Ure, has fortunately been a man of much 
energy and common sense, and is, besides, much respected. One 
ot his first acts was to urge, successfully, the appomtment of a 
medical officer of health, so that there should, at least, be some 
probability that any recommendations which he might make 
would be founded on scientific principles. Dr. W. T. Gairdner 
had then lately come from Edinburgh to fill the Chair of Medicine 
in the University, and as he had made a name for himself as a 
sanitary reformer by his lectures on “'The Public Health of Towns,” 
and had, moreover, expressed an intention of practising only as a 
consulting physician, thus having some time at his disposal, he was 
offered, and accepted, the appointment of chief officer of health for 
the city of Glasgow. 
Five more medical men were appointed at the same time, each 
to take active superintendence of a district as its medical officer of 
health, but to act under the chief officer. 
Various other officials are concerned in working out the 
sanitary. arrangements determined on by the medical staff, or 
rather by Dr. Gairdner, with the approval of the Sanitary Com- 
mittee of the Police Board. The chief superintendent and district 
