NOTES on the SUITABILITY of TROPICAL AUS- 

 TRALIA for the WHITE RACES. 

 By Dr. T. V. Danes. 

 (Communicated by Professor David, b.a., f.r.s., c.m.g.) 



[Read before the Royal Society of N. 8. Wales. October 5, 1910.] 



The paper by Mr. Duckworth dealing with the influence of 

 the climate in Australia, and especially in the Australian 

 tropics upon the white population has been of great interest 

 to me, but I did not join in the discussion, not being pre- 

 pared for it in a satisfactory manner. 



I paid attention some years since to tlie influence of the 

 tropical climate on the white population, and it seems to 

 me that many points of comparatively great importance 

 have been more or less overlooked, and that in the case of 

 the Australian tropics they especialy deserve attention 

 and proper consideration. 



It is a well proved fact that the mortality of the white 

 population in the tropics has diminished, and the conditions 

 of health have been greatly improved in those places and 

 whole countries where modern sanitary measures have been 

 introduced. The adaptation of private life to the exigencies 

 of the tropical climate has been generally of great benefit 

 too. Great consumption of heavy intoxicating liquors, 

 drunkenness combined with carelessness of the elementary 

 laws of tropical hygiene has been certainly one of the 

 greatest evils, and improvement in that direction has 

 brought very good results, especially the condition of the 

 white population in the Dutch East Indies. That the 

 indulgence in liquors, and especially in those of very bad 

 quality throughout tropical Australia as one of the most 

 important causes of ill health seems to be satisfactorily 



