Meteorological Observations at Bendigo. 



91 



of tlie day, the diggers, as well as other working-men, are 

 dressed in light apparel ; and if they are not cautious to change 

 their clothes, for warmer ones, during the night, they will soon 

 experience the effect of their neglect. At the end of the day's 

 work the tired man falls into a deep sleep, not awakened even 

 by the effects of the cold, which penetrates through the tent, 

 and injures his health. The man next day feels feverish, 

 diarrhoea precedes the dysentery, and not unfrequently it is 

 followed by typhus, which generally ends in the death of the 

 suffering man. 



The prevailing diseases are greatly assisted by the popula- 

 tion not living according to their adopted climate. Most of 

 them transfer to this colony the mode of living which they have 

 been accustomed to in a climate lying twenty degrees further 

 from the equator than Victoria, without allowing one degree of 

 change in their habits. They drink here the same spirituous 

 liquors as they did at home ; they consume the same great 

 quantity of animal food, washed down by a deluge of tea, 

 as if the same misty sea air surrounded them here that 

 did in England, and which allowed the consumption of 

 of a greater quantity of animal food and strong driiis. To 

 this effect I beg to quote Streletzki's remarks upon the sub- 

 ject, in his work on New South Wales and Tasmania: — 



" No endemic disease, and seldom any epidemic of grave 

 character, prevails ; and if individual indisposition, or even 

 partial deterioration of the progeny is sometimes seen, it is 

 to be traced to the pertinacity with which the English race 

 cling to their original mode of living, wherever they settle, 

 and however different their adopted country may be to their 

 native chmate. It is to the abuse of strong wines, malt 

 liquors, and spirits, and particularly to the excessive con- 

 sumption of animal food of the richest description, and even 

 to the mode of clothing and housing, that individual disease, 

 such as dyspepsia, premature decay of teeth, and affection of 

 the brain may be attributed.-" 



The state of the health would be much improved in this 

 country if the inhabitants, instead of the strong beverages 

 used at present, would drink pure water, light beer, or native 

 wine, which could be produced in this country, and consume 

 more vegetable food and fruit, About the mode of living 

 in Australia I shall have the opportunity of giving my 

 opinion on a future occasion, it being here out of place to 

 treat on this subject. I will, however, observe, that the climate 

 of this country is healthy, though not so the men. 



