170 
NATORE 
tn Stee ne ee 
- 
. : ¥ 
| Dec 
22, 1881 | 
throughout the country was the evil that required the 
most speedy rectification. 
Dr. Mackay supplied an excellent paper on the geology 
and climate of Brighton in relation to health. He gave 
many details, and finally came to the conclusion that the 
general view was correct, that autumn was the best season 
for Brighton. The freshness and coolness of the town in 
the early summer ought also to be remembered, 
Dr. Fussell pleaded the necessity for recreation spaces 
in all large towns. He said there were about 100 towns 
in England containing upwards of 25,000 inhabitants, and 
that much of the decrepitude and high mortality amongst 
the young was caused by the excessive density of the 
populations. 
Mr. Ellice Clark dwelt on the anomalies in the adminis- 
tration of the sanitary laws; and Dr. Browning read 
paper on the correlation of public health and sanitary 
legislation. 
One of the most interesting essays read in this section 
was by Mr. Frederick Walsh, and was entitled “ Sanita- 
tion in Japan, a Comparative Study.” Mr. Walsh, who 
has resided long in Japan, detailed the diseases most 
prevalent there, together with an account of the mode of 
application of the sewage for agricultural purposes. He 
condemned very strongly the system of London drainage, 
and argued against the loss which was sustained in con- 
sequence of that system, contending that we had created 
by it most of the evils of which we complain. 
The last paper read in this section was by Mr. H. F. 
Lester, on ‘f Reform in Slaughterhouses.’’ The author de- 
scribed tersely the present condition of private slaughter- 
houses, and contended that the great reform required in 
them consisted in the erection of public aéadfoirs in all 
our large towns. ‘The paper led to a brisk discussion, 
the general sentiment being in favour of the views ex- 
pressed by the author. Owing to an accident of arrange- 
meat a paper by Mr. W. S. Mitchell, M.A., entitled “A 
Comparison of English and Foreign Watering Places,” 
had to be taken as read. 
Section B—Food in Relation to National and Domestic 
Economy 
The president, Mr. J. R. Hollond, M.A. M.P., opened 
the Section on Thursday with an address on the subject 
of the “ Production, Distribution, and Economic Use of 
Food.” In considering the first head, he maintained that 
until the conditions under which the land was held were 
modified, and a much larger portion of the land brought 
up to the level of the best farming, it was premature to 
speak of the limit to the production of bread and meat 
having been nearly reached. He noticed the obstacles to 
agriculture in our land customs and the imposition of 
extraordinary tithe on market and hop gardens. Our 
landed systein hampered the nominal owner in his power 
of dealing with his land ; our system of transfer stood in 
the way of a ready change of ownership, and the cultivator 
had insufficient security for the capital he put into his 
business. Under the second head he said Free Trade 
for us was not only a benefit, but a necessity, and com- 
mented upon the way in which the English food-producer 
was hampered by the heavy carrying-rates of the railway 
companies, and advocated the market system of Paris. 
In treating of the economic uses of food he advocated 
the use of vegetables in greater variety, and in regard to 
alcoholic drinks, from the point of view of making the 
most of the means at command, thought the outlay on 
them might with advantage be made elsewhere. In con- 
clusion he alluded to the unsatisfactory results of our 
cooking arrangements and the wastefulness entailed 
thereby. He expressed himself in favour of teaching 
cookery in schools in a systematic way. 
Dr. C, B. Drysdale then read a paper on “ Cheap Food 
and Longevity,’ and showed by the statistics of New 
Zealand that, while the other circumstances were not 
specially favourable, as against this country, there was a 
lower death-rate, calculated at 12 in 1000 annually, com- 
bined with great cheapness of food. He contended also 
that the comparative scarcity of food here was caused by 
the higher birth-rate, which should be publicly discouraged 
in all European states. 
Mr. A. F. Halcombe read a paper of special excellence 
on “ New Zealand as a Source of Food Supply,” showing 
the great capacity of New Zealand for furnishing us with 
food, and the prospects ultimately of large supplies being 
obtained from this growing colony. The writer supported 
also the statements made by Dr. Drysdale as to the 
healthiness of the New Zealand Climate. 
Miss Yates followed with a paper on Bread Reform. 
She especially recommended the use of wheatmeal bread. 
She urged the members to support this movement for the 
sake of the children who are ill-nourished from being fed 
on impoverished white bread. 
Mr. T. B. Lightfoot, in a very lucid paper on the “ Pre- 
servation of Food by Cold,”’ detailed the various steps of 
the dry-air freezing process, and stated that there need 
be no further difficulty in supplying the demands of this 
country with wholesome fresh animal food if the matter 
be approached in a scientific and business-like spirit. 
His paper elicited from the President of the Congress 
the fact that he (the President) had seen the carcases un- 
packed from Australia, had examined the preserved flesh, 
had partaken of it, and had come to the conclusion that 
the scientific difficulties were solved, and that nothing 
but commercial cupidity at home stood in the way of 
abundant supply of cheap food for the working classes. 
A paper by Mr. Wynter Blyth, on ‘‘ Rational Feeding 
and Eclectic Dietetics’’; another paper by Dr. Whittle, 
on ‘Artificial Dieting of Infants’’; another by Mr. 
Cowan, “On Honey as an Article of Food”; and still 
another by Mr. Mitchell, on ‘‘Lessons on Foods,’ led 
up toa final address by Major Hallett, on “ Food-Plant 
Improvement.’’ In this paper Major Hallett described 
his remarkable experiments and successes in improving 
the growth of wheat and other cereals, together with his 
latest experiments upon the growth of tne cotton-plant, 
all of which we must reserve for another and special 
occasion. 
Evening Lecture—Propagation of Disease through Food 
and Drink, by R. P. B. Taafe,M.D., Medical Officer of 
Health for Brighton 
Dr. Taafe’s lecture was a very carefully prepared read- 
ing on the diseases of the body which are propagated 
through food and drink. He dealt first with the intro- 
duction of parasitic diseases in this way, next of the 
zymotic. He presented in a very clear manner the 
views of those who support what is called, commonly, the 
germ theory of disease. Finally he dwelt upon the sub- 
ject of prevention, and at the conclusion of his lecture 
received a very hearty vote of thanks. 
Section C—Domestic Health, including Educational 
Training 
Dr. Alfred Carpenter on Friday delivered the presiden- 
tial address on “ Domestic Health.” He dwelt upon the 
public indifference in regard to matters of health, and 
expressed his belief that there was a border-line between 
health and disease, in which the conditions necessary for 
the establishment of disease must have time to produce 
their results before the disease actually arose. Speaking 
of zymotic diseases, he urged that their very existence 
was an evidence that {natural waste was retained some- 
where in too close a proximity to particular persons who 
became subject to disease. He dealt with the error of 
sending wastes into sewers, and proceeded to show that 
these wastes as soon as they became such, changed their 
character unless properly and naturally dealt with by 
being given to the earth. The address was very warmly 
received, 
The papers that followed were so numerous that 
