The theory and practice of hygiene (Notter and Firth) revised and largely re-written / by R.H. Firth.

  • Notter, J. L. (James Lane), 1843-1923.
Date:
1908
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The theory and practice of hygiene (Notter and Firth) revised and largely re-written / by R.H. Firth. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    Offensive Trades, Disinfection, and the Infective Diseases. The latter has necessarily been somewhat compressed, as the subject is so constantly changing as to be difficult to keep up to date. The general principle adopted in this chapter has been to give merely snch an outline of the natiu-al history of each disease as may be readily supplemented by the reader's collateral reading, combined with a brief statement of our present knowledge upon immunity and of the general principles of disease prevention. A chapter is devoted to the consideration of the life-history of Parasites; and for advice and much information on this subject we are indebted to Dr Patrick Manson. To him and to Mr Young J. Pentland we are indebted for the loan of photographic negatives and the use of drawings of certain parasites which illustrate the text. Considerable pains have been taken to render the chapter on Vital Statistics intelhgible and useful to the sanitary officer, without at the same time overloading it with redundant matter. The increasing importance attached to vital statistics, and the greater accuracy of our national enumerations, demand a careful study of this subject by all engaged in public health work. We do not profess to have suc- ceeded in writing an exhaustive chapter on this subject, but hope that, if read in conjunction with special treatises and official reports, it may be fovmd equal to the wants of the Medical Officer of Health and others. It is our regret that the delay in the publication of the Eegistrar General's Summary Eeport on the census of 1891 has pre- cluded the insertion of the most recent facts and figures respecting occupations; but we think their omission wiU not materially affect the value of the statement of the general principles of vital statistics hereiu given. We have, further, not been unmindful of the fact that much of the life-work of our predecessors, the late Drs Parkes and de Chaumont, was devoted to the amelioration of the sanitary conditions of soldiers and sailors, and that their writings, which admittedly form the nucleus of this volume, were primarily intended for the use of the sanitary advisers of the Army and Navy. Bearing this fact in mind, we have incorporated in this work special chapters dealing with the sanitary needs of both the Army and Navy, and have emphasised therein such points as are not in strict accordance with the conditions of civil life. It may be noticed that all foot-notes have been omitted in the following pages. In place of them, we have given at the end of each chapter a Bibhography and Pieferences to authors and others quoted in the text. It is not claimed that these bibliographies are in any