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the censure of the Medi cal Profession to pass unchallenged.
December 4, 1853 , in a 1 ecture to the Royal Society on '1The Epidemics
of 1852-311 he pointed out that scarlet fever was not due to poverty of
living like typhus fever , nor to ill-drained dwellings and filth like
common fever , but rather to its own peculiar germ which had been brought
from Sydney in 1842 and had prevai led ever since .
case Nas due to two factors :
On
Its severity in this
the poor state of health of many people
recently affected by influenza, and the peculiar epidemic state of the
atmosphere which had affected not only men but lower animals too .
had been a previous epidemic in 1842-3, but at that time the general
health of the community was better and there were fewer deaths .
Proportionately deaths had not exceeded those in England or in other
countries ;
in old, heavily populated countries the disease was always
present, in new countries there was less opportunity to build up
resistance to it.
He concluded with a warning that the
progress of epidemics should be watched with care and attention
so that all local circumstances operating or likely to operate
on them shoul be investigated. 3
During December and January the press valiantly continued to
press upon the Corporation and the people the need for better drainage
and sewerage.
On December 2 the Advertiser recommended that private
cesspools, upon which almost all houses were dependent, should be
There
controlled by the Corporation, and, where sewers did exist, houses should
be compu lsorily connected to them.
Moreover , the Rivulet and its
tributaries should be cleared of all obstructions so that a small run of
water could keep them clean at all times .
On December 8 the Tasmanian
Colonist suggested the appointment of a City Board of Health or a Health
Officer, and the passing of a Lodging House Act similar to the English
Act , designed to licence all lodging houses and place them under the
supervision of the Council.
More important still, the Colonist
attempted to enlighten its readers to the measures which had already
been taken by the British Government to improve Public -ealth in England.
measures such as 'The Public Health Act', the 'Nuisances Removal and
Diseases Prevention Act 1 , the 'Common Lodgi_ng Houses Act ' and especially
'The Vaccination Act11 • Introducing a lengthy article on "The Pub lie
3 E.S.P. Bedford, 110n the Epidemics of 1852-311, P.P.R.S., 1854,
pp . 460-477.