PUBLIC HEALTH 
IN BRISBANE. 
* 
A PAPER READ BEFORE THE MEMBERS OP THE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OP QUEENSLAND, 
AT BRISBANE, BY THE REV. R. CREYKE, DEPUTY-REGISTRAR. 
Mr. Chairman and G-entlemen, — Having 
been asked to read “ A Report on the Climate 
of Brisbane for the year 1860, derived from 
particulars obtained from the Meteorological 
Station ; also a return of the number of Births 
and Deaths and remarks on the health of Bris- 
bane during the same period,” and having 
acceded to the request, I appear before you this 
evening for the purpose of fulfilling my under- 
taking, and I trust that what I read may not be 
destitute of interest, although I feel conscious 
that the subject might have been handled more 
skilfully, and that a better knowledge of disease 
would have enabled me to speak more scientifi- 
cally, and to show bow the human frame 
is influenced by climate, &c. However, a 
great part of this paper has been furnished 
me by Dr. Barton, and truly, if it were not that 
he had already read an interesting paper before 
this Society, and it were deemed right that, as a 
member, I should try and do something to sup- 
port its existence, I should have declined this 
honor, and should have proposed that gentle- 
man as the fittest person to dilate on such a 
subject as that chosen for our consideration this 
evening. As it is, I must ask you to be lenient in 
passing your opinion, and if I have not made 
the most of the materials furnished, still I hope 
the information placed before you may be pro- 
ductive of good, inasmuch as man frequently 
suffers ill, not because he is unable to discover 
any means of prevention, but because he does 
not endeavour to find them out. He becomes 
accustomed to certain evils, and fancies that 
they are necessary, whereas as soon as he is in- 
duced to seek for a remedy, as soon as he is led 
to believe he may improve his condition, once 
convinced of that, and his inventive genius will 
soon work a reformation. How, although, so 
long as sin remains in the world, there will be 
sickness and death ; yet, since by proper atten- 
tion to temperance and sanatory regulations, 
the sickness amongst men may be diminished, 
and the average life of man may be increased, 
and since a frequent constant bringing the sub- 
ject before the public may induce them to seek 
for each others welfare by endeavouring to dis- 
cover the connection which may exist between 
climate and disease, and such means as may be 
conducive to mitigate those evils to which 
human flesh is heir, I trust that this paper 
may prove a fresh stimulant to the benevolent 
and scientific to apply their minds to a subject 
replete with so much benefit to their fellow- 
creatures, and thus be productive of good. 
Much of the information now presented to you 
has already been published in monthly or 
quarterly returns, but a report of the whole year 
with general remarks has not appeared, and it 
has been thought by some that it would be in- 
teresting to have the whole placed before them 
in one paper so that the climate, &c., of the 
year may be easily ascertained. With regard 
to the meteorological observations, no doubt they 
can be relied on, having been taken with care 
and attention by one competent for the task and 
interested in the pursuit of knowledge; with 
regard to the number of births and deaths, it is 
not so easy to speak confidently about the actual 
number which took place, since if rumour speak 
correctly, the registration both of births and deaths 
is sometimes omitted ; and, until the people 
can be convinced that they are benefitted, if not 
directly yet indirectly, by registration, some will 
always be found who will try and evade the 
law. But it is to be hoped that before long as 
