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HEALTH OF LARGE ENGLISH TOWNS.
695 cution so seldom available, that future writers will doubtless be content to make use of Dr. Gowers’ patience and industry
prepared ice, and the fact serves to remind us of the care required in choosing the water for ice-machines. It is a faithful as are his which are as to common fallacy to suppose that clear ice must always consist they referring plates, by elegant, instead of wasting their time in producing imitations of pure water. Another interesting observation relates to the storing of water for ships’ use. The analyst found that anew. It is not possible to speak in terms of equal approbation of good water would keep well in a teak-wood tank that had other portions of the work. There are not a few signs of been charred inside, but became rapidly offensive in an unhurry. Many passages are not free from obscurity, and this charred tank which had been caulked inside with cotton and is culpable because Dr. Gowers has afforded us sufficient other matters. The details of the medico-legal inquiries proof that he can write clearly and compactly and well. made during the year are also of much interest. When a second edition is called for, as doubtless it will be, we shall be glad to find that these minor faults are removed by a recasting of the systematic portions of the work. HEALTH OF LARGE ENGLISH TOWNS.
Water for Nothing. Every House its own Water-supply. By SHIRLEY HIBBERD, Esq., F.R.H.S. London:
FORTY-FOURTH
WEEK OF
1879.
IN twenty of the largest English towns, containing nearly Wilson. 1879. a third of the entire population of England and Wales, MR. HIBBERD proposes, as many have proposed before, 5450 births and 3103 deaths were registered in the week that the rain-water which falls on the roofs of houses shall ending last Saturday. The births exceeded by 268, while be stored and used, after filtration, for drinking purposes. the deaths were 267 below, the average weekly numbers The obvious objection, that the washings of a town, or even during 1878. The deaths showed a decline of 25 from the a country, house are by’no means pure water, but a dirty inincreasing numbers in recent weeks; and the annual deathfusion of soot, dead leaves, and the droppings of birds, is rate, which had been equal to 19’5, 20’9, and 22’1 in the met fairly by Mr. Hibberd, who points out that mechanical three preceding weeks, was last week 21’9. During the contrivances exist. He instances Buck’s patent percolator, past five weeks of the current quarter the death-rate in the by which the rain which falls in the first period of a twenty towns has averaged 20’9 per 1000, against 21’6 and shower-say the first fifteen minutes-is allowed to run 21-3 in the corresponding periods of 1877 and 1878. The away, or is stored separately for garden use. The roof, lowest death-rate in the several towns last week were 13’9 once well washed, becomes a good gathering-ground ; and in Portsmouth, 15’4 in Plymouth, 16’4 in Oldham, and 16’7 if the water were kept loosely covered, in as cool a place as in Wolverhampton. The rates in the other towns ranged possible, it would no doubt be good. Certainly it would be upwards to 23’9 in Sheffield, 24’4 in Leeds, 24’7 in Manvery much better than much of the water now used for chester, and 25’8 in Liverpool. The deaths referred to the domestic purposes; and the system advocated by Mr. Hibberd seven principal zymotic diseases in the twenty towns, which might be adopted with advantage in a large number of cases, had been 468 and 475 in the two previous weeks, declined and might in many a detached house or small village afford last week to 442 ; 154 resulted from scarlet fever, 79 from a solution of the difficult water-question. measles, 77 from diarrhcea, 58 from whooping-cough, and 49 But while we agree with much that Mr. Hibberd urges, from fever. The annual death-rate from these seven diseases and commend his pamphlet very heartily to sanitarians, we averaged 3’1 per 1000 in the twenty towns, and ranged from 00 in Portsmouth and Plymouth to 5-2 in Liverpool and 5’3 are compelled to point out that in some respects he overstates and even misstates his case. The rain water of towns both in Sheffield and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The fatal cases is by no means pure, even when caught before it touches the of scarlet fever in the twenty towns, which had steadily increased from 94 to 166 in the seven weeks, deearth; and Dr. Angus Smith has shown that in Manchester clined to 154 last week, and were 46 preceding less than the number it is little better than a weak and dirty solution of sulphuric returned in the corresponding week of last year; this disease acid. On the other hand, the evils, such as goitre and showed the largest proportional fatality last week in SunBradford, Liverpool, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. urinary calculus, which Mr. Hibberd asserts are, "beyond derland, The deaths from measles were most numerous in Liverpool dispute," due to the mineral salts of hard water, havenever and Sheffield. No less than 15 of the 24 deaths referred to to arise been traced to such a source, and are quite unlikely occurred in London; 3 were also returned in diphtheria from it. The quantity of lime and magnesia salts consumed Birmingham, and 2 in Liverpool. Fever, principally enteric, in the food we eat is immensely greater than could be ob- was also more fatal in London than in the provincial towns; tained from any water used for drinking purposes. It must, the 49 deaths from this disease included 32 in London and 5 in Liverpool. Small-pox caused two more deaths in London moreover, be remembered that soft water acts strongly on and its outer ring of suburban districts, but not one in any lead, and that if Mr. Hibberd’s suggestions were adopted it of the nineteen large provincial towns. The Metropolitan would be necessary to avoid altogether the use of lead pipes Asylum Hospitals contained 37 small pox patients on or tanks in houses. Finally, we must point out that toler- Saturday last, 7 being new cases admitted during the ably frequent cleaning of the tanks and filters would be week. The deaths referred to diseases of the respiratory organs imperatively necessary. in London, which had been 190, 318, and 396 in the three preceding weeks, further rose to 402 last week, and exceeded Report of the Chemical Analyser to Government, Bombay, the corrected average number in the corresponding week of for the year 1878-79. Bombay: Government Central the last ten years by 50. Press. SURGEON-MAJOR LyoN, the Chemical Analyser to the MR. WILLIAM M.R.C.S., Surgeon to the Bombay Government, gives in this report the results ob- Children’s Hospital, THOMAS, and Professor of Anatomy Birmingham, tained from 1473analyses made within the year. Many of to the Queen’s College, has been elected President of the those results are of interest, not only for India, but also in Midland Medical Society. The inaugural meeting of the England, and we must congratulate the Government on the session was held on the 3rd inst. at the Grand Hotel, and the usual yearly address was delivered by Sir William valuable knowledge they have acquired. The badness of much of the water used for drinking purposes is Jenner, his subject being, "The Treatment of Typhoid Fever." The attendance was very large, nearly all the again pointed out, and we are glad to observe that some practitioners of the town and district being present. Sir immediate action is proposed. Great impurity was also ob- William Jenner was afterwards entertained at supper by served in the water obtained by melting some artifically- the members of the Society.
Effingham
exceeding
prepared ice, and the fact serves to remind us of the care required in choosing the water for ice-machines. It is a faithful as are his which are as to common fallacy to suppose that clear ice must always consist they referring plates, by elegant, instead of wasting their time in producing imitations of pure water. Another interesting observation relates to the storing of water for ships’ use. The analyst found that anew. It is not possible to speak in terms of equal approbation of good water would keep well in a teak-wood tank that had other portions of the work. There are not a few signs of been charred inside, but became rapidly offensive in an unhurry. Many passages are not free from obscurity, and this charred tank which had been caulked inside with cotton and is culpable because Dr. Gowers has afforded us sufficient other matters. The details of the medico-legal inquiries proof that he can write clearly and compactly and well. made during the year are also of much interest. When a second edition is called for, as doubtless it will be, we shall be glad to find that these minor faults are removed by a recasting of the systematic portions of the work. HEALTH OF LARGE ENGLISH TOWNS.
Water for Nothing. Every House its own Water-supply. By SHIRLEY HIBBERD, Esq., F.R.H.S. London:
FORTY-FOURTH
WEEK OF
1879.
IN twenty of the largest English towns, containing nearly Wilson. 1879. a third of the entire population of England and Wales, MR. HIBBERD proposes, as many have proposed before, 5450 births and 3103 deaths were registered in the week that the rain-water which falls on the roofs of houses shall ending last Saturday. The births exceeded by 268, while be stored and used, after filtration, for drinking purposes. the deaths were 267 below, the average weekly numbers The obvious objection, that the washings of a town, or even during 1878. The deaths showed a decline of 25 from the a country, house are by’no means pure water, but a dirty inincreasing numbers in recent weeks; and the annual deathfusion of soot, dead leaves, and the droppings of birds, is rate, which had been equal to 19’5, 20’9, and 22’1 in the met fairly by Mr. Hibberd, who points out that mechanical three preceding weeks, was last week 21’9. During the contrivances exist. He instances Buck’s patent percolator, past five weeks of the current quarter the death-rate in the by which the rain which falls in the first period of a twenty towns has averaged 20’9 per 1000, against 21’6 and shower-say the first fifteen minutes-is allowed to run 21-3 in the corresponding periods of 1877 and 1878. The away, or is stored separately for garden use. The roof, lowest death-rate in the several towns last week were 13’9 once well washed, becomes a good gathering-ground ; and in Portsmouth, 15’4 in Plymouth, 16’4 in Oldham, and 16’7 if the water were kept loosely covered, in as cool a place as in Wolverhampton. The rates in the other towns ranged possible, it would no doubt be good. Certainly it would be upwards to 23’9 in Sheffield, 24’4 in Leeds, 24’7 in Manvery much better than much of the water now used for chester, and 25’8 in Liverpool. The deaths referred to the domestic purposes; and the system advocated by Mr. Hibberd seven principal zymotic diseases in the twenty towns, which might be adopted with advantage in a large number of cases, had been 468 and 475 in the two previous weeks, declined and might in many a detached house or small village afford last week to 442 ; 154 resulted from scarlet fever, 79 from a solution of the difficult water-question. measles, 77 from diarrhcea, 58 from whooping-cough, and 49 But while we agree with much that Mr. Hibberd urges, from fever. The annual death-rate from these seven diseases and commend his pamphlet very heartily to sanitarians, we averaged 3’1 per 1000 in the twenty towns, and ranged from 00 in Portsmouth and Plymouth to 5-2 in Liverpool and 5’3 are compelled to point out that in some respects he overstates and even misstates his case. The rain water of towns both in Sheffield and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The fatal cases is by no means pure, even when caught before it touches the of scarlet fever in the twenty towns, which had steadily increased from 94 to 166 in the seven weeks, deearth; and Dr. Angus Smith has shown that in Manchester clined to 154 last week, and were 46 preceding less than the number it is little better than a weak and dirty solution of sulphuric returned in the corresponding week of last year; this disease acid. On the other hand, the evils, such as goitre and showed the largest proportional fatality last week in SunBradford, Liverpool, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. urinary calculus, which Mr. Hibberd asserts are, "beyond derland, The deaths from measles were most numerous in Liverpool dispute," due to the mineral salts of hard water, havenever and Sheffield. No less than 15 of the 24 deaths referred to to arise been traced to such a source, and are quite unlikely occurred in London; 3 were also returned in diphtheria from it. The quantity of lime and magnesia salts consumed Birmingham, and 2 in Liverpool. Fever, principally enteric, in the food we eat is immensely greater than could be ob- was also more fatal in London than in the provincial towns; tained from any water used for drinking purposes. It must, the 49 deaths from this disease included 32 in London and 5 in Liverpool. Small-pox caused two more deaths in London moreover, be remembered that soft water acts strongly on and its outer ring of suburban districts, but not one in any lead, and that if Mr. Hibberd’s suggestions were adopted it of the nineteen large provincial towns. The Metropolitan would be necessary to avoid altogether the use of lead pipes Asylum Hospitals contained 37 small pox patients on or tanks in houses. Finally, we must point out that toler- Saturday last, 7 being new cases admitted during the ably frequent cleaning of the tanks and filters would be week. The deaths referred to diseases of the respiratory organs imperatively necessary. in London, which had been 190, 318, and 396 in the three preceding weeks, further rose to 402 last week, and exceeded Report of the Chemical Analyser to Government, Bombay, the corrected average number in the corresponding week of for the year 1878-79. Bombay: Government Central the last ten years by 50. Press. SURGEON-MAJOR LyoN, the Chemical Analyser to the MR. WILLIAM M.R.C.S., Surgeon to the Bombay Government, gives in this report the results ob- Children’s Hospital, THOMAS, and Professor of Anatomy Birmingham, tained from 1473analyses made within the year. Many of to the Queen’s College, has been elected President of the those results are of interest, not only for India, but also in Midland Medical Society. The inaugural meeting of the England, and we must congratulate the Government on the session was held on the 3rd inst. at the Grand Hotel, and the usual yearly address was delivered by Sir William valuable knowledge they have acquired. The badness of much of the water used for drinking purposes is Jenner, his subject being, "The Treatment of Typhoid Fever." The attendance was very large, nearly all the again pointed out, and we are glad to observe that some practitioners of the town and district being present. Sir immediate action is proposed. Great impurity was also ob- William Jenner was afterwards entertained at supper by served in the water obtained by melting some artifically- the members of the Society.
Effingham
exceeding