Hygiene and Public Health. By B. Arthur Whitelegge, M.D. (Cassell
and Co.)—Dr. Whitelegge, who occupies the important
post of Medical Officer of Health to the County Council of the West Riding, has put together in this volume a very complete manual of his subject. He begins by dealing with what may be called the main conditions of health, Air, Weather, Water, Food,
Soil, Buildings, each of these forming the subject of a special chapter. "The Removal of Refuse" and "Burial of the Dead"
are then discussed. Four chapters on "Animal Parasites," "In- fection," and" Disinfection" follow. After these comes a long and important chapter, occupying nearly a fifth of the whole book, on "Specific Diseases." This is succeeded by sections of a practical character, treating of "The Prevention of Infectious Diseases," "The Duties of Medical Officers," and "Sanitary Law." "Vital Statistics" are given in elaborate tables. The facts about vaccina- tion and small-pox are peculiarly interesting, and would seem con- clusive but for the peculiar condition of mind with which many approach the question, a condition in which the desire to ascer- tain the truth is largely tempered by resentment against any law that seems to curtail personal liberty. It. is useless to repeat figures that have been given so often; but we may refer our readers to the remarkably instructive synopsis of the subject which Dr. Whitelegge has given (pp. 250.268). It is noticeable that in diphtheria the mortality in sparsely inhabited districts is still greater than in the dense, but has diminished by nearly a half, an interesting proof of the effect of sanitary improvements.
It is satisfactory to find that the mortality from phthisis has de- clined. In the decade 1851-1860 it was 21, in the year 1888 only 1.5 (as estimated).
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