1868.] The Public Health. 439 
that the decrease has been in progress from the beginning of the 
present year, may be learnt from the following figures :— 
Jan. Feb. Mar. Ap. 
Fever cases reported at Sanitary Office 423 344 343 279 
Fever deaths reported to Registrars 45 39 31 28 
Cases of typhus fever do occur, and deaths in a certain ratio do 
result, and this state of affairs will continue more or less extensively 
until the present fever-dens are rooted out by the operations of the 
City Improvement schemes and the City Union Railway. In 
the intertm, however, overcrowding in other parts of the city is the 
immediate result, owing to the fact that many people are, or soon 
will be, dispossessed of their houses, and others with improved 
sanitary arrangements are not yet forthcoming. 
Without the active sympathy and co-operation of other members 
of the community, it is found m Glasgow that the labours of the 
sanitary staff are not sufficient to eradicate or materially lessen 
the amount of epidemic disease, by removing the causes which lead 
to it, and hence a movement has been commenced to form an 
association to be called “The Sanitary Benevolent Association of 
Glasgow,” two of the objects of which are thus stated in the circular 
furnished us by the secretary :— 
“]. The visitation by a non-official voluntary agency, with the 
co-operation and advice of the sanitary officers of all parts of the 
city, especially of those which appear to be subject to the extra- 
ordinary pressure of the causes of destitution, disease, and death. 
“2. The use of moral influence and the diffusion of information 
tending to the improvement of the sanitary condition of the inhabit- 
ants in all dwellings within which the evils above mentioned have 
been observed to prevail; e.g. the prevention of overcrowding and 
the removal of external nuisances, with or without the aid of the 
authorities ; the recommendation of internal ventilation, cleansing, 
&c., when required; and the promotion, generally, of a higher 
standard of comfort, decency, and personal cleanliness, and of the 
habits of self-respect, temperance, and economy, which tend to the 
physical well-being of the community.” 
Our readers will doubtless join us in wishing the utmost measure 
of success to this praiseworthy movement. If it can in any way 
permanently reduce the enormous death-rate of the city of Glasgow 
we may expect to learn that the example will be followed in other 
disease-haunted towns. 
It may not be undesirable to mention that we have now a 
valuable ally in the work of disseminating sound views on the 
subject of Public Health, in ‘The Poor Law Magazine,’ a monthly 
journal published in Glasgow, and the property of “The Society 
of Inspectors of Poor of Scotland.” The usefulness of the magazine 
has been very greatly increased of late by the introduction of a 
VOL. V. 2H 
