, 1865-12-19

boards is their parSlmony and if they could
be once made to see that disease and death are
the most costly Injuries in which man can IN
dulge they would possibly give more scope to
the action of their medical officers of health.
Perhaps one of the greatest Improvements that
could take place in the London system would =
be the appointment of the medical officers of
health for life, and reducing their numbers,
giving them larger districts to Superintend, and
appending salaries which would render it UNI
necessary that they should attend to private
practlce.' The same system should be extend
ed to districts beyond the metropolis. 1t is
almost impossible under the present system to
initiate sanitary improvements in the villa res
and small towns of the country. The most gil
gantic nuisanceS are allowed to grow up with
out let or hindrance, and it is only when some
terrible calamity visits a place that any action
is taken. The metropolitan boundary is stu l.
ded with villages that the Management Act
does not reach, and which are a disgrace to our
civilization. Such a village exists at Childs
Hill. in the midst of a farm belonging to the
Lord President of the Privy Council. I men
ton this to show how defective our sanitary
Legislation Is at the present moment, as the
representative of all sanitary authority in her
Majtsty's government is helpless to remove
nuiSances at his very door. 1t is most necessa-
ry that medical officers of health should be ap-
pointed to large districts in the country, with
power to remove and compel owners of proper
ty to remove the most common and obvious
sources of death and disease. In all great
public Improvements which have for their end
the health of the people the law should act
with more certainty, and the rights of property
should not be allowed to interfere with the
highest claims of health and life. In thus
commenting upon what appear to be the defects
OF the law, | am aware how fully the laws re-
present the opinions and feelings of the people
of this country, and if the law is inefficient or
Enacted upon it arises from the want of know
ledge on the part of the people themselves.
Not only does this ignorance tell upon the
legislature. but even leaves the legislature to
provide all the conditions of a healthy exis-
tence this object could not be obtained un-
less the people were instructed to avail them.
selves of the rights thus conferred upon them,
l have alluded to some of the great facts upon
g knowledge OF which our healthy existence
depends. 1t is in vain that the legislature
enacts a plan upon which houses shall be built
to ensure ventilation unless the inhabitants of
those houses understand the worth of fresh air.
In vain is fresh water brought to our doors, if
in our Incidence and ignorance we refuse to
use it. There must be intelligence both in the
legislator and those for whom he legislates, if
we are 10 take advantage of our present know
AVNSO VI CHC t""o u me W seizure us from oil
sease and death. When one sees how little
effort is made to intrOdue into our general sys-
TENS of education a knowledge of those great
laws of physics, chemistry, and physiology on
which our life depends, one is filed with dismay
at the prospect before us. When the leading
educationists in our country. are carrying on a
controversy as to whether'th highest rates of
marks shall be given to classics, mathematics.
history, or modern Languages, one feels that
they are quarrelling over the dry bones, and
forgetting all that which gives reality, beauty,
and comeliness to our existence. It Is not till
the great facts of the natural sciences shall
take a proper position in the study of our min
listers, where the majority Of our statesmen are
instructed, that we can expect them to be
taught in our middle class schools, where our
v%estrymen gain the dement's offheir education.
1t is only when those who instruct weekly in
their pulpits, and influence the education of our
lower class schools, are themselves taught the
great laws by which the creator governs the
life OF the world, that We can expect our work
ing classes TO exercise that Judgment and self
control with regard to their health, the want of
which causes the sacrifice of holocausts of VIC
Tins amongst them every year. When / con-
slider the sacredness o fhuman life, when I know
bow sacred we Bill regard il, 1 feel as If it were