1850-51 THE WINDOW TAX 365 



population. Our evidence, I find, is really very- 

 meagre, either as to the influence of light per se, or 

 of light as an agent of ventilation, upon the health 

 or disease of the population. . . . Could you, if 

 you have either observed or thought upon the 

 subject physiologically or medically, give me a few 

 quotable sentences or dicta which I might send 

 to him upon the subject ? Very short. 



' Yours ever, 



' E. Chadwick.' 



Owen in reply sent some remarks, which 

 would now be considered perfectly obvious, as to 

 the necessity of windows for proper ventilation 

 and light. It is astonishing to think that these 

 matters once occasioned so much opposition and 

 debate. 



At this time there were several meetings of the 

 Committee for the * Great Exhibition of the Works 

 of Industry of all Nations,' which was to be opened 

 on May 1, and these, with the Hunterian Lectures, 

 kept Owen fully occupied. On April 27 he 

 was informed of his appointment as ' Chairman 

 of Jury IV.' of the Exhibition. On May 1 the 

 opening day is thus described in the diary : • We 

 got up at half-past five, having ordered a coach at 

 a quarter to seven, which was half an hour late . 

 We drove to the upper end of Piccadilly, where 

 we formed in line with an enormous string of 

 carriages. Many carriages dashed past our 



