52 
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
mately within the scope and object of this Society, and ought 
naturally to lead the ruling powers to aid our endeavours to pro- 
mote the public good, and to take an interest in our proceedings. 
How much benefit, for instance, may we not confer on the state 
by making the proper structure and site of military barracks and 
hospitals, and improvement in the accommodation and ventilation 
of ships, subjects of investigation and study ] Even the most 
recent intelligence from our new settlement of Hong Kong, in 
China, leads to a belief that much of the mortality among her 
Majesty's troops at that station is owing to the defective and ill- 
adapted construction, arrangement, and situation of the buildings 
appropriated to the reception of the sick. 
As governments are thus so much interested in questions 
connected with the subjects we have taken up, let us hope that 
they will be kindly disposed to afford us every facility in their 
prosecution. That a thorough knowledge of epidemic diseases 
very nearly concerns the welfare of all classes of the population 
in a mere individual sense, is a fact which hardly needs illustra- 
tion. There is scarcely a family to be found that has not lost 
some of its members by small-pox, measles, hooping-cough or 
scarlet fever; diseases which are always more or less prevalent 
among us, and respecting all of which there are yet many ques- 
tions which remain to be solved. The length of the radius of 
infection, — the question of mediate contagion, to third parties, 
through clothing, and other channels, — the period of the attack 
in which the infection in each disease is most active, — the length 
of time that it may exist in an infected locality, and the means 
of its destruction, — have never yet been determined with 
accuracy. 
The causes of exemption in individual cases have never been 
made out. The period of incubation admits of further investi- 
gation; uncertainty prevails as to the efficacy of preventive 
measures ; and, finally, there is much difference of opinion as to 
modes of treatment. Respecting febrile diseases not exan- 
thematous, such as plague, yellow fever, and typhus, many 
interesting questions remain for solution ; and, among them, 
the very difficult one of contagion is of paramount importance. 
The testimonies against and in favour of its existence are most 
conflicting; and although we must be on our guard to avoid 
degenerating into mere disputants on this point, where so many 
others should claim a due share of our attention, yet it cannot be 
denied, that if by more comprehensive views, and a larger 
collection of well-authenticated facts, we could determine this 
vexata qucestio, we should be conferring an inestimable boon on 
the whole human race. Epidemic febrile diseases will no doubt 
be the subjects of our chief study, as being immeasurably of the 
