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rate for the whole island fell from 17 1 /2 per 1000 in 1857 to 14 per
1000 in 1870, the average for the years 1869-ll inclusive being 13
1 / 2
per 1000 . Of children under five years of age the death rate in 1870
was only 29 per 1000 as compared with 67.5 in England and Wales . Overal l,
the death rate over the last seven years had shown a considerable decline
and was far less than the acceptable normal standard of 17 per 1000 .
In short, Hall was very optimistic that, with better sanitary measures
in the future, it would be difficult to find a place better suited to
health and longevity than Tasmania.
During the next two years, the people of Hobarton relaxed in the
pleasant, comforting afterglow of Hall's article, priding themselves on
the fact that no epidemics had occurred since 1868. In early 1875,
however, as his mortality statistics showed an increasing number of
typhoid, measles, scarlet fever and diphtheria deaths, an ominous note
of alarm began to creep into his Health Reports .
More and more insistently
he urged the need for better health and sanitary measures . In April, 1875,
the deaths were 102, the greatest numb er ever registered for that particular
month, and only once exceeded, in July 1860 , in the last nineteen years .
By mid-July Hall's warnings to the Council and the Government , backed by
the press, were compelling enough to induce the Colonial Secretary to issue
to the wardens of all municipalities a copy of that section of the Police
Act of 1865 which related to the health and improvement of towns , with
instructions to enforce its provisions .
More important still, as far as
Hall was concerned, the two authorities, acting together in consultation
under powers conferred by that Act, decided at long last to appoint a
Halth Officer for the city of Hobart, and the neighbouring towns of
. New Town, Wel lington and Sandy Bay and named him on November 6 as a person
11we 11 qualified to undertake these important dut ies 11 8 •
Two days later, the Mercury recognized the important part played
by the Health Reports in fashioning pub lic opinion;
although it had taken
a long, long time, they were at last fulfilling the purpose for which they
were always intended.
Advising the Council to study carefully the Report
for October, which registered 55 deaths, exceeded only by the Octobers of
1857 and 1858 with 57, the Mercury, in a reversal of attitude to that
shown during the Vaccination episode, wrote
Dr Hall has for years devoted himself to the study of vital
statistics and to the sanitary condition of the city and
suburbs, and , in the face of much discouragement and pub lic
8
CSD 10/24/361.