CXXVlll 
cleaning, but to expose the clothing, etc., of cholera patients to the sun 
and air. They could not go on using one fixed line for everything. He 
would have liked to have seen the question of the origin of typhoid 
in the colonies gone into at this meeting. Dr. Thompson, of Mel- 
bourne, had gone into it very thoroughly. Were the germs brought 
to the colonies by passengers in ships, or had they been present in the 
world from the beginning of all creation, ranking with the first origin 
of all things? Was it that the germs were not noxious—things to be 
hated—and not merely things for the transmission of disease to man, 
but having their own proper rank in the scale of creation? Was the 
fact of the transmission of disease by them a mere accident, or the 
result of man’s own fault? That would of course open up the question 
of spontaneous generation. Bacteria and bacilli were present every- 
where throughout the world, and the greater part of man’s immunity 
from their influence was due to his powers of resistance. In regard to 
Dr. Crowther’s remarks about typhoid patients being allowed to mix 
with the other patients in a hospital, he would like any medical man to 
show him what advantage could accrue from doing so, instead of keep- 
ing them distinct, as they did here. [Even allowing the disease to be 
neither contagious nor infectious, what advantage would be gained by 
putting them with the other cases? As they knew, typhoid was dis- 
seminated from the excreta, and if that was to be carried about up and 
down stairs, a great risk would arise from it. They would need better 
reasons than had been given before they changed the plan which the 
medical officers here thought it wise to pursue. He was quite sure there 
were exceptions, and in London and in Edinburgh the typhoid patients 
were kept apart, and for his part, he hoped they always would be. 
(Applause. ) 
Mr. Warp, in answer to Mr. Johnston as to the germs in his liquids 
coming in from the air instead of being developed from the water, 
pointed out that the wool at the mouth of the tubes would act as an 
effectual filter; and further, that he had treated distilled water in a 
similar fashion, and no germs had been developed. He had not intended 
by his attention to this subject to imply that there was any particular 
prevalence of typhoid in our midst, but rather to, if possible, reduce the 
quantity still lower, and to do his best to arrive at the conditions 
sketched by Pasteur. Their immunity in the past was not due to any 
particular care in guarding against evil. All they had to do in regard 
to food and drink was not to do as Dr. Playfair said, but to see that 
they got a good supply ; to be careful that they got it pure, and then 
to think of it no more than was necessary to keep it in good order, In 
regard to the introduction of typhoid into the colonies, that might have 
occurred on board ships by carelessness in the filling of water casks, 
either here or on the way home. He saw a case of this description 
reported only the other day, where every member of a ship’s crew was 
prostrated, owing to the bad quality of the water at the last port of 
call. (Applause.) \ 
The Curator read a paper by Baron F. Von Mueller, K.C.M.G., 
entitled, ‘‘ Notes on Jean Julien Houton Labellardiere, botanist of the 
search expedition sent out under Admiral D’Entrecasteaux to ascertain 
the fate of Count La Perouse and his crew.” The paper was accompanied 
by a photo-lithograph of Labellardiere, a copy of which will be inserted 
in the proceedings of the society for the year. 
NOTES AND EXHIBITS. 
Mr. C, J. Arkrns read some notes on the sea-worm Synapta, illustrated 
by Polarized Light. He said: The class Echinodermata includes the 
marine objects known as sea-hedgehogs, sea-urchins, and sea-eggs. The 
members of the group generally develop a calcareous skeleton (set with 
