On the Effect of Deep Drainage on the 

 Rate of Mortality in Adelaide and 

 Suburbs. 



By H. Whittell, M.D. 

 ^Read December 6th, 1887.] 



At the last meeting of the Society a paper by Dr. Jamieson 

 was read on the effects of deep drainage on the mortality of 

 Adelaide and suburbs. On that occasion I made some comments 

 which the Council has been good enough to request me to reduce 

 to writing, with a view to their being read at this meeting as an 

 introduction to a discussion which it is believed will be of interest 

 to most members of the Society. 



It will be remembered that in dealing with his subject Dr. 

 Jamieson adopted two methods of investigation. 



First — He compared the returns from the Registration Office 

 of the population and deaths in Adelaide and suburbs during 

 periods just before and just following the completion of the 

 <lrainage. 



Second — He drew a comparison of the mortality from special 

 forms of disease (typhoid fever and diarrhoeal diseases) with 

 the mortality from other diseases occurring during the same 

 periods in the registration district of Adelaide. 



The conclusions, on the whole, were favourable to the system 

 of deep drainage, and those of us who advocate the extension of 

 the system might accept them without comment, if it were not 

 that our silence might be misconstrued, and leave us open to the 

 charge of accepting a favourable conclusion, although we know 

 that the premises are incorrect. I have examined the doctor's 

 figures with some care, and although I am at one with him in his 

 conclusions, I cannot accept his calculations as having any impor- 

 tant bearing on the subject of discussion. In saying this I wish 

 it to be understood that I have a high appreciation of Dr. 

 Jamieson's qualifications for the task he undertook, and also of 

 the neighbourly interest he has manifested in his endeavour to 

 assist us in determining a question which is of some importance 

 to the whole of the AustraHan colonies. The errors into which 

 the doctor has fallen are due to a want of knowledge of our 

 localities, and to no other cause. 



Referring to the first series of figures, in which the ratios of 

 mortality in Adelaide and suburbs are compared during periods 



