312 BEPOEW FEOM THE SECTIONS. 



On the 12th September Dr. Belgeaye read a paper on " Pre- 

 ventable Disease and Sanitary Organization." The consideration 

 of this paper engaged the attention of the Section at an ordinary 

 and three special meetings. The subject was divided under three 

 heads, and dealt with as follows : — 1. That the poisons of cholera 

 and typhoid fever are communicable by filtered water, and that 

 there is danger of the Botany water supply becoming contami- 

 nated by organic poison. 2. That an efficient system of regis- 

 tration of infectious and contagions diseases, with a view to 

 arresting their further development, would be beneficial to the 

 community. 3. That the decomposition of filth can give rise to 

 specific fevers. 4. That venereal disease is prejudicial to public 

 health, and is more or less reducible under the combined 

 influence of education and legislation. 5. That a State sanitary 

 organization is urgently required in New South Wales. It was 

 then resolved that the Eoyal Society be invited by this Section to 

 wait upon the Grovernment by deputation, and urge it to introduce 

 during the next Session an efficient General Public Health Act 

 and to appoint a Central Board with ample powers to see its 

 provisions enforced. 



On the 26th September Dr. Belgeave drew attention to the 

 statistics of the mortality in the principal cities of Continental 

 Europe recently published in the Journal of the British Medical 

 Association, from which Sydney, in spite of its almost unrivalled 

 natural hygienic advantages, is shown to be at present one of 

 the most unhealthy cities in Christendom. 



On the 10th October Mr. Eobeets,M.E.C.S., laid on the table 

 a memorandum which he had prepared at the request of the 

 Colonial Secretary upon hygiene, especially in its bearings upon 

 epidemics. Mr. Eoberts also read some remarks on the measures 

 adopted by him under the Government to prevent the spread of 

 erysipelas. A communication was received from M. Jules 

 Joubert forwarding a photograph of an apparatus for cleaning 

 water-pipes, and asking the Section to move the Eoyal Society to 

 offer a prize for the best display of exhibits in the Sanitary 

 Department of the Agricultural Society's next Exhibition. The 

 Section at a subsequent meeting adopted the following resolu- 

 tion : — That, in the opinion of the Social and Sanitary Science 

 Section, the Boyal Society might with advantage to the com- 

 munity co-operate with the Committee of the Agricultural 

 Society in promoting the exhibition of all articles tending to 

 advance sanitary science and improve sanitary appliances. 



Dr. Belgeave called attention to the prevalence of small-pox 

 in San Erancisco, and the danger of the disease being brought 

 to this Colony by means of the mail steamers from that port. It 

 was generally admitted that the danger is great, and that 

 precautionary measures should as far as practicable be taken, 



