CXXVli 
was inclined to think they were so, and that in this room bacteria germs 
were floating about in large quantities (—laughter)—and would develop 
themselves in the proper medium if it were present, so they must 
inquire if the germs found in the water came from the air or from the 
water itself originally. It was very significant that Mr. Ward had 
shown that the liquidity of the substance commenced from the top. It was 
possible, therefore, that the germs wee imported from the air. So 
they should look and see thatthe germs did not fly hither and thither 
through the town in the air to the injury of weak persons. Mr. 
Johnston drew special attention to the immunity from disease, which 
was the rule in Tasmania, and showed by diagrams that the death 
rate, in its entirety, and as regarded zymotic diseases alone, was less 
here than in either of the other colonies. 
Dr. A. B. CROWTHER said though he had not come to the meeting 
with any intention of speaking he thought it only right that as a medical 
man he should give the assistance to the society which lay persons could 
not do. Mr. Ward had already pointed out some of the evils which 
existed in the colony, and what Manchester, for instance, had done in 
order to remove abuses, and the example ought to be followed in 
Tasmania. When he was resident in Campbell'Town some years since, 
an outbreak of typhoid was distinctly traceable to the way in which the 
waters of the Elizabeth were dammed up, and now they were made to 
flow freely there was no such danger. In Launceston typhoid was no 
doubt owing to the presence of the burial grounds within the town 
boundaries, draining towards the centre of it, and _ to 
the presence of cesspools, some of which had not _ been 
emptied for years. He had done his best while he resided 
there by lecturing and in other ways to get these things remedied, and 
had pointed out how much better Hobart was than Launceston in 
having the cemeteries outside the city. There could be no question that 
when they got a proper system of dry earth closets the cesspools 
would be done away with altogether. Year by year they found typhoid 
arising in the same place over and over again, showing that there were 
the foci from which the disease spread. He thought that typhoid 
and typhus should be placed in the general wards of the hospitals, as 
was the rule in the old country, and as there was no danger of subjects 
adjoining becoming affected. In relation to the question of the filtra- 
tion of water, he would say that water ought to be filtered over gravel 
beds and sand. This wonld help ‘(to do away with many childish 
diseases, such as worms. They knew very little about the relation of 
worms to the human body as yet, but something might be done in the 
way he had indicated. It was very important that the public should 
be instructed in the use of disinfectants. Sulphate of iron was very 
cheap and effective in assisting to destroy the germs. 
Dr. Perxins said he had not,prepared any remarks for the meeting, 
as he was unaware of the nature of the paper to be delivered. A great 
deal of it was not new, but it was true, and none the less interesting. 
One was almost inclined to say with Lyon Playfair, that he was inclined 
to eat and drink everything, and ask no questions at all. It was an 
almost superhuman task to eradicate everything that was bad. But 
still Dr. Playfair had been converted, and so he hoped they might be in 
asimilar manner. Im reference to the destruction of germs, he would 
point out that it was now known that disinfectants would not destroy 
some bacilli, The bacilli of cholera, for instance resisted them, and the 
only way in which some of them could be disinfected was by drying 
them, and even then, if they were again moistened, they were re- 
animated. The only way to kill them was to make them perfectly 
dry, and keep them so. In that way they were taught not to use 
disinfectants indiscriminately in all cases, or to use much washing and 
