The Sun.
London, England, 1868-10-07 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7, 1868.

We are glad to find that the National Associa-
tion for the Promotion of Social Science is giving
its attention to matters of practical importance.
Undoubtedly it is part of the office of such an asso-
ciation to examine into the merits of new and un-
tried theories, to discuss the possibility of fresh
schemes, and to bring to light those speculations
which amateur social philosophers habitually in-
dulge in. But if the association went no further
than this, its action would be too visionary to tend
• much towards the progress of social science. llow-
ever desirable it may be to afford all the workers
• and thinkers in the good cause of social reform and
advancement an opportunity of coming before the
public, it is equally necessary that the minutes of
the annual meeting should be able to show some
substantial knowledge gained, some solid facts
enunciated or classified, some statistics placed
ready for the consideration of the legislator or the
• statesman, some remote information brought down
to the popular level. In this aspect the " Health"
section of the National Association is one of its
' most valuable departments, and the more the in-
formation which its leaders gather becomes fami-
liar to the masses the better chance we shall have
of actual sanitary reform. The address of Dr.
RUMSEY, President of the Health Section, on Mon-
day, was listened to with deep attention by a nu-
merous audience ; since his arguments by no means
followed in the beaten track, we may hope that
new light was thrown by his agency upon many
points whose importance is too often overlooked.
Dr. RUMSEY is not one of those reformers who are
so well satisfied with the achievements of the past
that they propose to " rest and be thankful" for the
future. On the contrary though acknowledging many
improvements, he is inclined to regard some of
our boasted achievements as matters of regret
rather than of rejoicing. The reckless poisoning
of our waters by the distribution of sewage into
them has been, he considers, a great and lasting
mistake. Within the last thirty years, he said,
almost all the water courses of the land have been
incorrigibly defiled, and even convertel into distri-
butors of disease by means of town sewage con-
trived hastily and executed unscientifically. " The
effete products of manufactures and trades, the
animal and vegetable debris of towns, mineral de-
tritus, all that comes under Lord PALMERSTON'S
celebrated definition of " matter in the wrong
place," was to be got out of the way by water car-
riage, which was assumed, not without reason, to
be the most expeditious and economical mechanical
power for the purpose. The result of this remark-
able movement is, however, that communities
have had to encounter a more gigantic difficulty
than at the very beginning of sanitary reform."
Many perplexities and losses have followed from
this course, beginning with the destruction of the
fish in the river, and ending with the difficulty of
obtaining pure water. The importance of an effi-
cient water supply is at least a matter of which no
educated person can in these days be ignorant; and
Dr. RUMSEY'S able address was followed by a paper
•' On the Relation of the Water Supply of Large
Towns to the Health of the Inhabitants," read by Dr.
ALFRED HILL, professor of chemistry at Queen's
College, Birmingham, and official analyst for
the borough, who produced some statistics
relative to his recent analyses, especially as
regarded the well waters of towns, which
all parties agreed in con -him:ling. In the
water of one Birmingham well there were 507
grains of solid matter, 48 grains of organic matter,
and 16 grains of chloride of sodium per gallon. The
presence of chloride of sodium in large quantities
indicates contamination by sewage. Manchester
and Glasgow are both fortunate in this respect.
They have plentiful supplies of pure water, Glas-
gow being now supplied by Loch Katrine, and the
consequence being a marked improvement in the
public health. Glasgow and Manchester have both,
it is true, high death rates, but there are many other
causes to account for this. Though the water is good
the drainage is incomplete, and ashpits and open
receptacles of sewage are still retained. As
Dr. HILL observed, in remarking upon the morta-
lity of these two cities, it is only logical to assume
that if Manchester and Glasgow had bad instead of
good water the mortality would have been still
higher than it is. During the prevalence of cholera
the effects of bad water have been so plainly
marked that in some districts only those who drank
habitually the water of one particular well or pump
were attacked, while their neighbours were safe.
The Broad-street pump was a notable instance of
this, while a similar example occurred in Salford
gaol in 1859, when the impurity of the prison water
caused an outbreak of choleraic diarrhoea among the
prisoners. In 1866, when cholera was again busy in
parts of the United Kingdom, it was noticed in
Scotland that in all towns where wholesome water
was supplied there were few, if any, cases of
cholera, while in all the populous places where
water was obtained from wells supplying impure
water the proportion of cholera cases was large,
and the fatality great. Such facts cannot be too
often reiterated, and we are glad to find our social
reformers are determined to make them more
widely known.

The Central Junta in Spain has been definitively
constituted, and all arrangements are speedily pro-
gressing. The Official Gazette has published the
protest of Queen IsABELLA, and preceded it by a
few comments. The Junta, it is said, refrains from
making any "criticism" on it. The nation have
passed their " sovereign judgment" on the acts of
the QUEEN, and can now pass their verdict on her
words. This is plain enough in all conscience, and
is sufficient to satisfy the doubts of the most san-
guine adherent to the cause of the exiled QUEEN.
Some persons cannot take a denial, be it delivered in
ever so emphatic a manner. At any rate the autho-
rities have shown good taste in forbearing to pass
a harsh censure on the writer of the extravagant
manifest in question, and they have done their
cause good service thereby. From the outset of
this affair, however, it'must be admitted that the
party of progress have exhibited a surprising re-
ticence, and proved the force of their intentions
more by acts than words, and never proceeding to
extremities. The causa of General PRIM'S non-
arrival is now exflained by the circumstance that
the inhabitants of Saragossa detained him in order
to have a fete in his honour. Many preparations
have been made to give full eclat to this ceremony,
which seems to be unanimously desired. It is no
matter of surprise that some dissatisfaction should
have been expressed at the sudden elevation of
Marshal SERRANO, and some provincial Juntas de-
clare their disapproval at his elevation to the