No. XXXVI.C.] APPENDIX. 421 



" The population in the district of Croydon is very nearly three-tenths 

 of the population of Extra-Metropolitan Surrey, exclusive of that of 

 Croydon. Therefore, the deaths returned in Extra-Metropolitan Surrey, 

 after deducting the deaths returned for the Croydon district, would be the 

 basis for the estimates of death that should, occur in the population of 

 Croydon, upon the assumption of an equal rate of mortality. I subjoin 

 a nosological table of mortality. 



" Believe me to be, my dear Sir, yours faithfully, 



" F. A. CUKTIS. 

 " ALFRED SMEE, Esq., F.R.S., 

 "7, Finsbury Circus, E.G." 



When Mr. spoke of the Female Orphan Asylum, he conveyed 



the idea that no injury had been caused to its inmates, but the fact was, 

 they had had sixty cases of fever and three deaths ; and though he could 

 not say these were caused by the milk, because he had not investigated 

 the cases, it was a curious fact that the more milk the patients drank 

 the worse they became, and on one occasion a tadpole was found in it. A 

 specimen of hay had been produced, but he had no hesitation in saying 

 that it was not a fair sample, because on passing his fingers over it he 

 found no sewage excreta adhering to it, as he had done when he had taken 

 a sample from the stack himself. With regard to the roots, he acknow- 

 ledged that if the ground were properly turned over, roots might be found 

 fit for use, though not so good as those treated in the ordinary way. He 

 had seen the sewage overflow into Beddington Park, even since he read 

 the paper, and had got the park-keeper to measure the distance, 19 poles ; 

 in fact, a deep drain was now being made to prevent it. No one had really 

 opposed his proposals except Mr. Addy, who said that if they were adopted 

 sewage farms could not be carried on; but if they could not, without 

 encroaching on their neighbours' rights, the sooner they were stopped, in 

 his opinion, the better. He said it would be very inconvenient ; and in the 

 same way some people thought it inconvenient that they were not per- 

 mitted to pick other persons' pockets. He had as much right to be pro- 

 tected against injury from sewage as against petty theft, which was of 

 much less real importance; and, no doubt, he could protect himself by 

 Chancery proceedings, but they were difficult and expensive. Mr. Botly 

 spoke of the violets grown at Aldershot ; he could only say that if they 

 were grown under sewage irrigation, the officers must have presented 

 to their ladies much which they never bargained for^ but the mystery was 

 cleared up by a succeeding speaker, who said that the sewage went on the 

 farm two days a week, and the remaining five through a pipe direct into 

 the watercourse. If that statement were confirmed, the sooner all such 

 farms were put under stringent regulations and regular inspection the 

 better. The following table would show the difference between the pure 

 water from the Croydon wells and the effluent sewage from the farms : 



Croydon Well. 



Common salt 2-00 



Nitrogen oxide O'OIS 



Ammonia , 0'003 



Organic matter 0*004 



