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11carefully elaborated" paper by Hall should be sent to the next meeting
of the Society for reading and discussion.
This paper, "Hydraulics11,
on May 12 and a second, "Sewerage11, on July 14 could well .be regarded as
the apex of Hall's career as a sanitarian.
immensely interesting. 26
Both were informative and
The first, 11Hydraulics" was a hymn of praise to the civi l
ngineers, to whom medical sanitary reformers were indeb ted for the great
improvements in health, comfort and prolonged life, and a song of
thanksgiving for the new water supply which Hall described in detail, from
the 11cool transparent and delicious water" of the catchment area on
Mount Wellington to the results of his own chemical analysis of tap water
and experiments in lead content. To counteract those who still quibbled
at the cost of construction, he dwelt at lngth on its benefits as a
sanitary measure to the health of the community.
cited was the provision of bathing facilities.
Amongst the many he
Public baths are a great desideratum in Hobarton. It would
be superfluous to dwell on the great sanitary advantage of
frequent ablutions of the whole body. Much as this is
generally neglected, I believe it arises more from the want
of convenience than from either ignorance or apathy . If
the 28 miles of sewer pipes in the skin of a human being are
choked by dirt, other organs have to be overworked to remove
the effete matters of the body, and this cannot long continue
without serious derangements to health. At present I am
ashamed to state, th ' e only estab lishment where bath
accommodation, on a sufficient scale is provided for
cleanliness and health is the public gaol. In our Asylum
for destitute children, 170 . girls have one incommodious bath,
but the 190 boys and ·the 130 infants , aged 3 to 6, no bath
provision at all. Our public Hospitals and Invalid Asylums
are equally defective. So that poverty and infirmity are
less cared for than crime.
As a medical practitioner with first hand acquaintance of the dire
consequences of filthy, uncleansed water casks , unwashed bodies and lack
of proper washing facilities, Hall was immensely thankful that the
problems of Hobart 's water-supply had been satisfactorily solved, and
considered any price trifling in comparison with the boon now being
enjoyed.
In his second paper , "Sewerage" , Hall had the more difficul t
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task of persuading his fellow citizens that a comprehensive sewerage
scheme was equally necessary in the interests of health. To counteract
the obj ections raised against the heavy additional cos t, he elaborated
once again, unreservedly and at length, the fearful consequences of
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P. & P.R.S., May 1863 & July 1863.
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