So Decay of National Physique. 



tone of Dr. Lindsay's paper, and he was glad to know that he 

 was of opinion that the national physique was not degenerating. 

 He was glad also that Dr. Lindsay had drawn attention to the 

 question of communicable disease — a question that does not 

 receive so much attention as it might. They were aware that 

 a great many of the so-called communicable diseases are due 

 to specific germs, or micro-organisms, and are capable of 

 being propagated throughout the community by such agencies 

 as air, water, clothing, and personal contact. He thought that 

 where infectious diseases break out an early notification of the 

 fact should be made to the proper authorities, in order that 

 isolation might be effected and that the disease might be 

 restricted to as small an area as possible. One important point 

 that should not be lost sight of is the removal of filth. It 

 is, perhaps, too much to expect that diseases would be 

 altogether wiped out, so to speak, but that should be our 

 object ; but in the meantime the compulsory notification of 

 disease when it breaks out to the proper authority would be a step 

 in the right direction. He agreed with most of the conclusions 

 arrived at by Dr. Lindsay. He thought, in arriving at a 

 correct opinion as to whether the national physique was 

 degenerating or not, life insurance would be a good test, and 

 one which could be depended upon with more safety than on 

 statistics from the army. He thought it was quite possible for 

 a very considerable degree of concentration of people to take 

 place in our large towns without very materially affecting the 

 national physique. 



Brigade-Surgeon MacFarland said on the subject of recruit- 

 ing he could not quite agree with their distinguished lecturer, 

 although on most subjects he did concur with him. Dr. 

 Lindsay treated the subject in the most exhaustive manner, 

 and, indeed, he might say that a finer lecture he had never 

 listened to. On the subject of recruiting Dr. Lindsay had 

 looked at it more favourably than he would. In Belfast one 

 thousand recruits were examined at the barracks in the year, 

 and out of that number not more than six hundred passed — 

 some for the army and some for the militia. He must say that 



