246 
JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
SANITAEY SCIENCE IN EUEAL DISTRICTS. 
BY MR. J. C. INGLIS, C.E. 
(Read January 29th, 1880.) 
The impetus given several years ago to this branch of science, 
for so it is now, was due to the recognition of the fact that disease 
in certain forms produces an indefinite number of disease centres, 
usually called germs, capable of producing similar diseases in other 
individuals with whom they come in contact. 
Dearly- bought experience has taught communities that the 
general health, especially during the prevalence of infectious dis- 
eases, entirely depends on their exertions in removing conditions 
favourable to disease ; and if we believe antiquaries*' who have 
carefully searched the public records of Stratford-on-Avon, Shak- 
spere's father, poor man, seems to have been sorely persecuted in 
this respect. In 1552 he was fined for depositing filth in the 
public street, and again in 1558 for not keeping his gutter clean ; 
proofs that even in those early days as keen a watch was kept over 
the public health as now. 
After the reign of Queen Elizabeth, all this activity seems to 
have subsided, except when one of those fearful plagues visited 
this island. 
At last, however, in 1831, the awakening given to people and 
parliament by the great Asiatic cholera commenced the agitation 
for sanitary reform, which with ups and downs we have inherited. 
Since then commissions and investigations have been held in 
every branch of the question. Acts of Parliament have been as 
freely passed ; in truth, too freely, for the laws relating to public 
health became so complicated and contradictory that a general bill 
for the consolidation of all previous laws was passed in 1875. 
Sanitary Science, to define it, is a statement of cause and effect, 
so far as is known to be true, for all phenomena relating to the 
* C. F. Gardner, in "Rural Sanitary Science." 
