182 PRESIDENTS ADDRESS—SECTION H. 
In 1886 the Sydney water supply was modified ; a ‘mixture of pure 
water with the foul was distributed. Inthe third quarter of 1887 the 
foul service was finally discontinued. A water of great purity was 
turned into existing mains, and, as it was at command far in excess of 
the needs of all the population within reach of it, extension of the 
service was thenceforward carried on with energy. The following table, 
which deals with the time elapsed since the close of 1885, has been 
obligingly furnished by the Government Statistician of New South 
Wales (Mr. T. A. Coghlan). Thetime is too short to warrant expression 
of opinion upon it in relation to water-supply ; but apart from that, the 
fall it shows seems rather greater and more pronounced (on comparison 
with similar rates for former years) in deaths from the diarrheal diseases 
than in those from fever. This points to some other influence at work 
as well as a supply of purer water, and the number of houses which 
during the same years have been properly connected with new, good 
sewers is not sufficient to constitute it. It is true, however, that during 
these years especial efforts have been most strenuously made in many 
municipal districts to abolish the once universal cesspit, and have been 
most successful ; and this is an alteration which would tell against both 
diseases. Were it possible to compare different districts of Sydney on 
the lines indicated in the text, it might easily be judged to what extent 
this abolition of cesspits has been effectual ; for there are some populous 
districts formerly (or down to about four years ago) riddled with them, 
which now have for all practical purposes none at all, while others have 
remained in this respect quite neglected. 
SYDNEY. MELBOURNE. 
B a 8 FA bh 8 H fie = z | 
Sigcrcd|e isa ltciae Ss |Sos| § | $e8 
YEAR. se |2"8| 6 |s"2 | & | s=2) aegis 
3 |#o2!] .-)eseil « | £32) .o oles 
2 seal 8 eee S | Seen eee 
ra Sem a 2S 2 RST a SS 
= so aS = Se A go8 
a Ans & jars BH ans s |aQrs 
S| A r= A a | 
1886 .| 299 9°22 | 469 |14°46 |] 294 7°91 | 642 | 17:27 
1887 191 5°58 | 254 [10°33 |} 338 8°63 | 652 | 16°65 
1888 182 5°07 | 429 |11°96 || 326 777 | 546 | 18:00 
1889 209 5°58 | 465 |12°48 || 559 | 12°78 | 608 | 13:90 
That is the comparison. I ask whether it shows any difference 
in preventable mortality from the diseases named, such as might 
fairly be expected under the different circumstances described ? 
What is the reason? Is sanitation, after all, powerless? Far from 
that. Not in Victoria and New South Wales alone, but in all 
the provinces, the work of sanitation is being attempted in the 
dark for want of precisely the kind of direction which might be, 
but is not, got from a well-planned record of births and deaths. 
