vented him from following His Lordship's remarks, for he was sure that 

 the subject in such hands would be treated so as to produce a beneficial 

 effect. In his (Dr. Hall's) capacity as Health Officer, such support was 

 most valuable.for when respected and intelligent gentlemen took up sanitary- 

 subjects, it would have much more weight with Government, and local 

 authorities than anonymous letters in the newspapers. In the paper to 

 which the Bishop had alluded, read to the society by him (Dr. Hall) 

 fifteen years ago this month, he had predicted that those diseases most 

 influenced by impure water, would diminish by the recently improved 

 fiupply. He had stated that on an average of the six years, 1857-62, the 

 mortality from dysentery, diarrhoea, etc., had been 8 per cent, of the total 

 deaths. Last year, with its very heavy death list, the proportion was 

 rather less than half. Could other sanitary improvements be made to 

 effect a similar reduction in other diseases he would go to his grave satisfied 

 that his labours in the cause ha(f not been fruitless. 



Referring to some remarks as to certain diseases being propagated by 

 germs carried about by the air, water, and other means the Secretary 

 observed that although the " germ" theory of disease was a good work- 

 ing theory, it was well to recollect that its correctness had never yet been 

 actually proved. He, himself had long thought, from many instances 

 which had come under his observation, that disease of an infectious 

 character could occur de novo — that is without the action of any pre- 

 existing germ. Within the last few months Dr. R. W. Richardson, 

 who was certainly second to none in the profession for learning, ability, 

 and power of original research, had contributed to a scientific periodical a 

 paper in which he attacked with much cogent reasoning the " germ 

 " theory, and offered a carefully considered suggestion to the effect that 

 infectious diseases were due to a poison secreted by the individual — the 

 poison of the snake being adduced as an extreme example. The poison 

 when formed might be conveyed from ;one individual to another by the 

 air, by various fluids, or by personal contact ; and acted, not after the 

 manner of a ferment but, by producing certain (catalytic) changes in the 

 secretion of the part to which it was applied. Particular portions of the 

 body were affected by, and reproduced particular poisons, the skin for 

 instance as to scarlet fever, the throat as to diphtheria, the mucous mem- 

 brane of the bowels as to typhoid fever, etc. Poisonous secretions, how- 

 ever, in some cases might be the result of certain nervous influences 

 inducing diseased local secretions, and thus disease of an infectious 

 character might commence de novo. This theory, the Secretary thought, 

 would in many instances afford an explanation of the occurrence of 

 sporadic disease, the origin of which, in his opinion, was frequently 

 inexplicable by the "germ" or 07?i?ie ex oyo hypothesis. (See ^a^wre, 

 October 4, 1877.) 



His Excellency mentioned he had recently when fishing caught two 

 parr, one in the Derwent, the other in the Nile. From the finger-like 

 markings of the former he thought it probable it was the young of the 

 true Salmon, whilst the more spotted markings of the latter might favour 

 the belief that it was the young of the Sahno trutta. In each case the 

 young fish, after its accidental capture, was immediately returned to its 

 home. 



_A vote of thanks, supported by the Chairman, was accorded to the 

 Bishop of Tasmania. A similar vote to Mr. F. M. Bailey, and to the 

 donors of presentations, closed the proceedings. 



