38 



the Commissioners state (at pages 53 and 55) as their 

 conclusions — 



" That in order to prevent the pollution and legally 

 " control the management of rivers, their basins or water- 

 " sheds must be placed under supervision, irrespective of 

 " any arbitrary divisions of county, parish, township, 

 " parliamentary, municipal, or Local Government Act 

 *' boundaries, or indeed of any artificially established 

 " division," 



" That the question of profit and loss in abating nui- 

 " sances and in preventing the pollution of the atmos- 

 " phere, running waters, or sea shore, by town and house 

 " sewage, or by working mines and carrying on trades 

 " and manufactures, ought not to be too rigidly taken 

 " into account," 



" That the prohibition against the cciHting in of solids 

 " may at once he general ivithout amj exception^ 



" That a stronger power than has hitherto been avail- 

 *' able must be brought to bear if the present abuse and 

 " pollution of streams is to be arrested, and Government 

 " supervision and inspection must enforce the action of 

 " local authorities.'''' 



" That our experience of the weakness inherent in 

 " unaided and uncontrolled local authorities convinces us 

 *' that a central board appointed hg a State department is 

 " necessary to the efficient protection of running ivaters." 



From the Medical Times and Gazette of 28th Sep- 

 tember and 23rd November, 18G7, Math extracts from Mr. 

 Simon's Annual Report to the Privy Council on the 

 Public Health, for 1867 :— 



" A reduction of typhoid fever is undoubtedly shown 

 " coincident with sanitary improvements. ' Though not 

 " ' with absolute constancy, drying of the soil of a town 

 " ' and reduction in the crowding of houses have been 

 " ' followed by reduction of fever. Much more important 

 " ' appears to be the substitution of an ample supply of 

 " * good water for a scanty and impure supply.' " 



Mr. Simon insists with the utmost force upon the abso- 

 lute relation of cholera in England to faults of drainage 

 and loater supply : — 



*' It cannot be too distinctly understood," he says. 



