292 
PROCEEDINGS OP THE VICTORIA INSTITUTE. 
and picturesque, but harbours vermin, insects, and damp. Gal- 
vanized sheets which are used so largely lead to excessive heat 
of the house in the day, and on account of the rapid evaporation 
to excessive cold at night. Slates are the best material for roofs. 
There is a good deal of opposition, and from influential quarters, 
against the introduction of a proper system of sewerage in this 
town. An enumeration of the advantages that will result from 
such a change will I hope show the opponents of the scheme how 
unreasonable is their opposition. (1.) It will do away with the 
cesspits, abominations which no progressive community such as 
ours ought to tolerate. Cesspits pollute our soil, poison our air 
and kill or sicken our people. (2.) The subsoil will be drained 
which will result in drying of the soil and freedom from damp- 
ness. Dampness of the soil is a great factor in the causation of 
Phthisis and other pulmonary diseases. In Port-of-Spain one 
out of every 9 deaths is due to Phthisis. After the introduction 
of sewerage works in the following towns the rate of Phthisis 
mortality showed the following percentage of decrease : — 
Macclesfield 31 per cent. Leicester 32 per cent. 
Banbury ... 41 do. Rugby 43 do. 
Ely ... 47 do. Salisbury 49 do. 
In the reduction of the typhoid fever mortality the results were 
still more striking — 
• Cardiff ... 40 percent. Banbury 48 per cent. 
Merthyr Tydvil 60 do. Croydon 65 do. 
Salisbury ... 75 per cent. 
(3.) The waste waters from our houses, and yards are com- 
posed of animal and vegetable substances which rapidly putrify. 
ir John Simon says that “ Such refuse at its worst is a very 
condensed form of sewage, and even at its best is such as 
cannot without nuisance be let loiter and soak by the wayside." 
WHh a proper sewerage system these waters would find their 
way into the sewers. To recapitulate. With a proper system of 
sewerage the waste waters and water-closet sewage will be 
removed immediately and completely, thus excluding all danger 
ot disease from these sources; our water-logged soil will be 
drained, rendering it dry and healthy, and our death-rate from 
Seab -? S ’ typkoidi etc., will be materially reduced ; our 
DrodT 7 , ev , W1 not find its wa y into our street gutters to 
cessnit! fo ^, od <T s > „ and P ollute our air ; we shall get rid of the 
can be effe t ^ ^ urdc h is a good example of the good that 
c e by sewerage works. These works were completed 
