New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. SATURDAY, JANUARY 9,1875. DR. LYON PLAYFAIR ON HEALTH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 89, 9 January 1875, Page 5

New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. SATURDAY, JANUARY 9,1875. DR. LYON PLAYFAIR ON HEALTH.

—^j_j This eminent Professor of Social Science delivered an important lecture on health before the Social Science Congress, which met at Glasgow in October last. There are many passages of this lecture which, in a religious point of view, are extremely objectionable, and which afford another proof of the tendency of men of science in this age to go out of their way and beyond their subject in order to make, as they insanely fancy, a point against religion, and to indulge iv sneers against revelation. This is wanton; and not only is it in very bad taste, but it is also very inconsistent on their part. They can hardly let pass an opportunity of calumniating the Church by charging her untruly with opposition to the progress of science, and going beyond her legitimate sphere in interfering with the labors of scientific men. And yet, almost in the very same breath, they themselves go beyond the confines of legitimate scientific investigation; and instead of limiting themselves, as they ought, to the real teaching of science, commence immediately to construct theories, and that too very often on insufficient data, for the purpose of giving the lie direct to revealed doctrines. It is not enough for them to be permitted to pursue science : but they also assume to themselves the duty and the right to declare that their mere theories have disproved the truths of Christianity. It is sad to behold such a great aberration of the human intellect, and to witness such a waste of high powers and culture as are thus manifested by so many men of science, who are in many other ways most useful and most estimable. But the truth is, as experience abundantly proves, that ia all times it has been found extremely difficult to keep men of science within the limits of science. It would seem that to them the old proverb, "a little learning is a dangerous thing," is particularly applicable ; and that some inklings as to the secrets of nature, have such a peculiar influenceon the human mind, when not properly balanced by sound religious teaching, as to impel it to run a muck against the supernatural, or, on the other hand, to endeavor to force revelation to supply proofs of scientific theories. The present age supplies, unfortunately, only too many proofs of the tendency of science, in the hands of a certain, class of men, to oppose revelation; and a former age affords an illustration of ths latter. Galileo, for example, would not rest satisfied with teaching the Oopernican system, | which had been taught for years and years under the eyes of j of the Popes and in their universities, even in that of Roma itself, but insisted his theory was taught in the Holy Scriptures, and was therefore a dogma of Faith. It was this strange fancy of his that brought him into trouble, and provoked his condemnation, not by the Church, as has been so often untruly stated, but by one of the Roman law courts. Apart, however, from this unfortunate feature of Dr. Lyon Playfaik's address, this address has very much in it that is not only extiemely interesting, but also most useful and necessary, and is well worth attentive study. The progress of sanitary measures in this age, as compared with that of two centuries ago, appears to be satisfactory. The learned Professor says :—": — " If we go back far enough in the history of our country, there are distinct assurances of improvement." Twenty years after the Restoration, according to iVlacacxay, "men died faster in the purest country air than they now die in the most pestilential lanes of our towns, and men died faster in the lanes of our towns than they now die on the Coast of Guinea." The rate of mortality in London from 1666 to 1679 was no less than 80 in the thousand; from 1681-90, 42-1 ; 1746-55, 355; 1846 55, 24-9 ; 1871, 226. The Professor sums up the result of his investigations iv reference to health thjn :— -" No epidemic can resist clean houses, clean air, and clean water." * * * * " Wash and be clean. But understand this practical maxim in its full significance ; I do not mean mere personal or objective

ab iition. but an uncompromising war with unckanliness of all kinds. In this war you may use water as an agent, or a disinfectant, or draining, or fire, or any other means of utterly removing and destroying all filth and its consequences. Let me now give a few illustrations]^ the consequences attending Ihe neglect of this hygienic maxim. When the civilisation of Egyptians, the Jews, the Greeks, and the Romans faded, the vorld passed through dark ages of mental and physical barbarism. For a thousand years there was not a man or woman in Europe that ever took a bath. No wonder that then came the wondrous epidemics of the middle ages, which cut off one-fourth of the population of Europe- the spotted plague the black death, sweating sickness ; and the terrible mental epidemics which followed in their train— the dancing mama, the mewing menia, and the biting mania." Speaking of the importance and necessity of drainage, Dr. Playpaie says:— "lt is not in fevers alone that the influence of the soil is apparent. Probably consumption itself —that great scourge of this country— is a chronic zymosis, or msease, like many of our fevers, arising and communicable irom like hygienic deficiencies. It is greatly mitigated by dryirg and ventilating the soil, as well as by ventilating the dwellings After the sewerage of Salisbury had been made effective the deaths from phthisis fell 49 per cent. : in Ely they fell 47 per cent. ; in Rugby, 43 per cent. ; and in Banbuiy, 41 per cent. Dryness and elevation and well ventilated rooms are powerful means to prevent as they are to retard consumption. In the last generation, the average period of that sad disease was two years : now, according to Dr Williams, it is eight years."