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Board 1 s meetings lere open to pub li c cri ticism.
Hall disclosed that he
had just received from Dr G. Balfour a table of the nutritive value of the
food issued to the mi litary orphans in Chelsea, computed on estimates
given by such eminent authorities as Dr Christison of Edinburgh,
Dr D. Thompson, the Professor of Chemistry at St. Thomas ' Hospital, London ,
and Dr Letheby, the celebrated Health Officer of London . This tab le
clearly proved that the old scale in use at the Queen 's Orphan Schools ,
computed on the same data, was twenty per cent less in nutritive value.
In an
app eal to everyone to prevent a recurrence of the previous wholesale
murder of friendless human beings, Hall reiterated his own dedicated
service to their welfare.
I have not blinked this question or spared any pains necess ary
to elucidate the truth on behalf of our long-suffering orphans .
Please God, 'my bosom 's Lord ', shall be at rest forever 'ere
the orphans ' cause shall lack an advocate . 5
On March 17 the Orphan Schoo ls '
Commission Report , which was
ordered to be printed by both Houses of Parliament in August
1859, finally
appeared .
Hall' s 11 Revi ew11 of this report , which was pub 1 ished in the
Mercu ry in two parts
on March 21 and March 23, received considerab le
attention and acclaim in medical circles in Australia and in England;
it also occupies a significant position in the history of sanitary science
in Australia.
Its author's remarkab le obj ectivity , his breadth of vision
as a world sanitarian, his unique position as diagnostician and prescriber
for the city's ills , his comp lete dedication to his patient , were here
delineated by his own words .
have , written such a 11Review11 ;
No other man but Hall could have, or would
in this fact lies its peculiar significance
l-Jhi ch induced the
,
import ant Eng 1 ish medica 1 journal Lancet to
call him
11A Sanitarian in Tasmania11 • 6
Hall1s tone was calm, deliberate, a little melancholic at the
frai lty of human nature which "exculpated and eulogized'' Bedford in spite
of his egligence, whilst disparaging and misquoting himself and ungraciously
. ignori ng his assistance in supplying the Eng lish documents necessary for
.
important decision making .
But he was very thankful that so much had been
l-Ion from a commi ssion composed as it was .
Once again , he dw elt on his
formula for a healthy city.
I have great dread of suppression in all matters of this kind
and firm faith that by unreserved pub licity the caus e of
truth, justice and humanity must ultimately triumph .
5
6
Mercury , March 3, 1860 .
Lancet , 1860, Vo l. 1, p. 626 .
; I
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