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this work, which dealt with the question of sewage treat-ment and the disposal of sludge in reference mainly to what,in the author’s opinion, was desirable in the case of themetropolis. The second part is now included in the volumeas completed, and it deals with sewage purification in theoryand in practice. Commencing with a chapter on the culti-vation of the soil and the discovery and use of artificial

manures, the author next discusses the value of sewage bothfrom a theoretical and commercial point of view. He holds

very strong views to the effect that sewage is all but worth-less, that it cannot be utilised at a profit, and that sanitaryauthorities must make up their minds to pay for its disposal.He next gives details of his scheme for the drainage of theLower Thames Valley, the disposal of the sewage involvingclarification, the manufacture of stock bricks with the

sludge, and purification of effluent by means of the soil.The small volume appears opportunely at a time whena Royal Commission is still engaged in considering thepresent system under which sewage is discharged into theThames.

B. Bradshaw’s Dictiooary oj ]}Iineral Waters, ClinaccticHealth Resorts, Sea Baths, and Hydropathic Establish-ments. With a Map. London: Trfibner and Co. Niceand Paris: B. Bradshaw and Co. Second Edition. pp. 363.1883.-The greater part of this book consists of a list,alphabetically arranged, of all the known health resorts andbathing places at home and on the Continent. The informa-tion given, however, respecting a very large number ofthese places is so meagre that it can be of little advantagein deciding where to send an invalid, and this remark is

especially applicable to the section on "Diseases, and Placeswhere they are most effectually cured." The book professesto give " the summer and winter residences of doctors,hotels which can be recommended with confidence, andother useful information." In looking over the list ofdoctors we are struck by the absence of names well knownto the profession at many of the foreign watering-places,and the list of the hotels recommended is very meagre.Thus, for Rome, Milan, and Turin one hotel only ismentioned at each. Surely, the compiler does not mean tosay that in each of these cities there are not several hotelswhich "can be recommended with confidence as at least

equal to those he has inserted. The classified list of"stations according to their therapeutic indications con-tains the names of somewhere about 2250 different mineralwaters from which to choose. There is also a list of hydro-pathic establishments, sea baths, climatic air stations,winter stations, and grape and whey cure stations. The

map appears to have been carefully prepared, and will befound useful to travellers.The Australasian Medical Directory and Handboo7,.-

This work, now in its first year of publication, contains alist of nearly 1700 legally qualified practitioners resident inthe colonies, an abstract of all the principal laws affectingthe medical profession throughout Australasia, a list ofmedical and other scientific societies, the regulations andbye-laws of colonial universities, and much other valuableinformation. We have often wondered that such a book ofreference had not been published, and we congratulate theeditor of the present edition of the work now before us uponhis endeavour to supply a much-felt want.

DUBLIN HOSPITAL SUNDAY FUND.--The tenthannual appeal on behalf of the Dublin Hospitals was held onNov. llth last, and the amount obtained has now beendeclared. Including special donations and the proceeds froma football match which realised £56 9s. 6d., the total cameto £4212 16s. 6d., being a slight increase of £18 19s, M. ascompared with 1882. The amount will be distributedamong the sixteen hospitals which participate in the fundsobtained.

SANITARY MEASURES IN INDIA.1

THE first half of the Blue-book on this subject, presentedto Parliament last year, consists almost entirely of a

summary-in many a cases a reprint of portions-of the

Report of the Sanitary Commissioner with the Governmentof India for 1881. The remainder of it contains a series ofmemoranda by the Army Sanitary Commission on the reportsof the various principal medical officers and sanitary com-missioners for that year. As we have already brought tothe notice of our readers the leading facts relating to thehealth of the troops, both European and Native, and of thegaol population of India,2 it appears unnecessary to go overthe same ground. The Army Sanitary Commission in theirmemoranda enter into considerable detail as to the prevalenceof disease in the army and civil population, and endeavourto trace the causes of any abnormal amount of sicknessand mortality. The subject, however, is far too extensiveto be discussed in the space at our disposal. The im.

pression left by a perusal of the various reports is thatthe prominent causes of the fatal diseases are to befound in the character of the water-supply, the defectivedrainage, the foul subsoil and stagnant subsoil water,and the local filth conditions dependent upon inefficient

conservancy. The description given of the water-supplygenerally is such as fully to justify the observation ofDr. De Renzy, in his recent lecture on the Sanitary Stateof the British Troops in North India, that, except at a fewstations, it is "in a state unworthy of a civilised people."The marked improvement in the public health consequentupon a supply of pure water to Madras, Bombay, and Cal.cutta, affords satisfactory evidence of the importance ofattention to this vital measure. In none of these muni.cipalities, however, has an abundant or even an adequatesupply been secured, and we can only hope that there willbe no relaxation in the efforts of the authorities till this hasbeen effected. But the reports point out not only the needof an increased supply of pure water, but also the evils ofneglected drainage and inadequate conservancy. Sincethe period to which the reports refer, these subjects havebeen brought prominently forward in Calcutta; and it isinteresting to compare the observations and warnings ofthe Commission with what has since occurred there, asbrought to notice by the editor of the Englishmagl.3 Whilegiving due credit to the municipality of Calcutta for theimprovements they had effected in the main drainage, inthe water-supply, and in the conservancy, the Commissionobserve : " Complaints of inefficiency of service have beenvery few, but it is easy to see how any remissness in thisimportant department of public service may be followed bysickness." The need for such a caution was unfortunatelytoo fally exemplified by the sanitary condition of Calcuttain the end of 1882 and beginning of 1883. With regard tothe water-supply, which was admitted by the chairman ofthe Municipal Commissioners to be " very insufficient andclearly becoming more so," it is stated that "this result wasforeseen by the Army Sanitary Commission, who gave acaution on the subject before the works were commenced,which had it been followed would have saved much outlayin extending the supply." With whom does the respon-sibility rest of having neglected this caution ? The Com-mission justly remark that "it is by no means sufficient toorganise in any way nearest at hand the conservancy de-partment of a great city, which of all parts of sanitarywork is the one most immediately necessary for protectingthe public health. With a system so disjointed as theconservancy department of Calcutta], described in thisreport, increase of cholera follows as a matter of course....The practical teaching is that the whole sanitary work must

. be much better done, and that of all sources of economywhich a municipality can deal with the very last, and in theend the most costly to the entire community, is not provid-ing for the efficient discharge of sanitary duties."

1 Report on Sanitary Measures in India in 1881-2; together withMiscellaneous Information up to June, 1883. Vol. xv.

2 THE LANCET of March 24th, 31st, and Nov. 17th, 1883.3 Ibid., Feb. 24th and March 10th.

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