98 DR. GRANT BEY, 



ill ignorance, and live in the midst of insanitary suiToiindings 

 that they have produced theniselves, and that the}' need a 

 paternal government to raise them out of, Ave should have 

 had such a continuous surplus of population that the whole 

 of Africa might, by this time, have been iilled with thriving 

 Egyptian colonies and federations. The decrease in popula- 

 tion cannot be attributed to the climate which will compare 

 well witli the climate of the most favoured parts of the world ; 

 nor to the sterility of the race, for it is remarkably prolific, 

 nor to intemperance, for the people are sober and peaceful. 



Ignorance and filth, its twin sister, make sad havoc 

 amongst the population, so that all the weak die early, and only 

 the fittest survive, who in turn easily succumb, when, in more 

 advanced years, disease attacks them. It seems altogether 

 inexcusable, that Egypt, blest as she is with such an excellent 

 climate, and with a prolific and sober population, sliould be 

 crippled in her supply of agricultural labourers, owing to an 

 excessive but remediable death-rate. Public instruction and 

 public health are two very necessary and very important port- 

 folios to hold ; but public instruction has to take the first step, 

 as ignorance must be dispelled, in part at least, before health 

 measures can be satisfactorily carried out. 



At a very early date there were direct commercial 

 relations between Egypt and India, as Avell as indirect 

 through Mesopotamia, so that Egypt was often exposed, 

 then, as now, to the importation of Indian and Mesopotamia]! 

 communicable diseases. Thus, notwithstanding the extra- 

 ordinary attention given to sanitary science by the ancient 

 Egyptians, Ave find, from history, that every noAv and then, 

 plagues among men and beasts dcA^astated the country, 

 showing that, although these diseases Avere not indigenous 

 to the soil, there is every reason to belieA'c that the personal 

 sanitary condition of the people left much to be desired ; 

 and we must not forget that the Egyptian campaigns 

 introduced into Egypt a very large slave population, Avhich 

 to say the least, had not been educated in sanitary science. 

 No doubt there was much squalor and filth in the old days, 

 but surely not so much as noAv. At any rate Ave knoAV for 

 certain tliat the ancient Egyptians rcA'cred the Nile as a god, 

 so that it Avas kept scrupulously free from an^-thing that 

 Avould pollute it. Hoav different now-a-days Avhen the Nile 

 is looked upon as a common sewer, and is used as such. 



The climate of Upper Egypt Avould still (under the Xllth 

 dynasty) be someAvliat rainy, although by this time, tlu' 



