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For the first time, he stated his attitude to scientific development
and condemned those who ignored it :
.... The apologetic tone in Nhi ch 'recent investigations on
the subject of dietetics ' is referred to is rearkab le .
Surely it is the sacred duty of any Medical Practitioner
having charge of the health and lives of large bodies of
children to make himself acquainted with, and readily to
adopt every improvement the researches of science may
develop, and not to wait the promptings of professional
brothers irresponsible for the management . ...
In his comments on the details Hall was concerned particularly
with the three new diet scales according to age set by the Commission.
Here there was a serious error, as the proportion of nitrogenous food to
carbonaceous was one to four, rather than one to three, as was the case
in the diet of the Chelsea orphans .
For his own part, Hall was opposed
to the scale system altogether, and advocated an unlimited daily supply
of food according to the needs of the body,
a practice followed by all parents who do not presume to be
wiser than nature or to over-rule her cravings by their own
crotchety notions .
As he believed that the amount of bodily waste was greater in Tasmania
\>ihere the "lamp of life'1 burnt more quickly in the pure atmosphere, he
was also opposed to the fourteen hours ' fast recommended by the
Commissioners between supper and breakfast.
He suggested that a slice
of bread be given to the orphans before going to bed after a five o'clock
tea.
As regards the other provisions , Hall felt that much had been done,
much left undone, though some of the omissions had already been rectified
by the new Board of Management which, nevertheless, was the target of his
final attack.
The wheel of improvement would henceforth advance satisfactori ly ,
I feel assured, were two of the old clogs of convict
obstructiveness removed from the present Board of Management
and the press admitted to report "progress'1 • A little leaven
leaveneth the whole mass, and I shall ever dread that influence
on the Board of Management, which I have made evident has been
so injurious on the Commission of Enquiry.
His last words , however, were for the ch ildren ; he hoped that soon fresh
butter, eggs, fow ls , fish , lemons , sodawater and spice would be part of
their diet, as they were for children in the old country .
Although Hall's "Review" received a chi lly reception in some
quarters in Hobarton, it certainly did not in those circles best ab le to
- evaluate it correctly. In an article enti tled "A Sanitarian in Tasmania"
the Lancet expressed its gratification that far off members of London
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