3o6 
PROFESSOR OWEN 
CH. IX. 
ours,’ he says, ‘ but it is chiefly Chadwick’s 
and Southwood Smith’s. My share was hunting 
up some of the cholera evidence, and general 
revision before it went to press. . . . The 
Government have acted promptly on the main 
recommendation — viz. the quashing of the old and 
the formation of a new general Commission, a step 
essential to the carrying out on an adequate scale 
experiments to determine the best and cheapest 
modes of street and house drainage. The results 
of these experiments will alter the mode of sewer- 
age in all London first, then in provincial towns, 
next in Continental towns, where, in Paris even> 
they have as bad or worse modes of sewerage than 
with us. The amount of typhus and other deadly 
disease which will thereby be prevented is scarcely 
calculable, but will be enormous ; a healthy- 
cleanly, and moral population will be substitutefl 
for the present unfortunate and oppositely charac- 
terised habitants of the courts, alleys, and small 
streets ; and the blessings will extend far beyond 
the points immediately in view. The new consoh' 
dated Commission for London is for two years-' 
time enough, I believe, to determine the merits of 
the new system. We work gratis to avoid the 
chances of obstruction from the cry that would be 
raised by the 800 cashiered Commissioners ef 
“ Government job.” I lend the little aid I caf 
give most willingly to help forward this great 
work, though some jealousies and misconception^ 
