EEPORTS FEOM THE -«ECTIONS. 311 



SECTION I.— SANITAEY SCIENCE. 



Eeport of the Social and Sanitary Science Section of the Eoyal 

 Society for the session of 1876. 



To the President of the Eoyal Society. 



Sir, ^ • 



I have the honor to submit the following report : — 



The Social Science and Statistics Section held a preliminary 

 meeting on the 29th June, when it was unanimously resolved 

 that a proposition be submitted to the Council that Section H. 

 Sanitary Science be joined to Section I, Social Science and 

 Statistics. The proposal having been agreed to, the Section has 

 since that date met as the Social and Sanitary Section. 



At its first meeting, held on the 10th July, Mr. Eoberts, 

 M.E.C.S., was chosen as Chairman ; Dr. Morgan, and Messrs. 

 Bedford, M.E.C.S., Yoss, and Tarleton were elected a Committee ; 

 and Mr. Harrie Wood was appointed Honorary Secretary. 



The Section then decided that its ordinary meetings be held on 

 the second Tuesday in each month. 



Steps were taken to procure all the papers, etc., published by 

 the Sydney and Suburban Sewaige and Health Board, by the Yic- 

 torian Central Board of Health, and by the English Board of 

 Health, but the publications of the last-named Board have not 

 yet been received. 



At the meeting held on the 8th August, Dr. Belgeave called 

 attention to the Vital Statistics published by the Eegistrar General, 

 and pointed out certain defects therein. After careful considera- 

 tion, it was generally admitted that in many cases the cause of 

 death as stated rendered the statistics of comparatively small 

 value as a basis for sanitary legislation. The defects appeared 

 to be mainly due to want of care or want of skill on the part of 

 the persons by whom certificates of death are granted ; and in 

 order to ascertain the facts a series of questions were submitted 

 to the Honorable the Colonial Secretary. These questions 

 elicited the following replies : — 1. That the primary cause of 

 death is given in all cases where specified in the certificate. 2. 

 That the certificate of death is required principally for the 

 purpose of statistics upon which sanitary legislation may be 

 based. 3. That the Nosological table used here is the same as 

 that used by the Eegistrar G-eneral of England. 4. That the 

 statistics include deaths certified by persons other than legally 

 qualified medical practitioners, but in what proportion is not at 

 present known. These replies having been discussed, it was 

 resolved that the papers be referred to the Medical Section, with 

 a request that the members will consider the matter and favour 

 this Section with the result of their deliberations. 



