Page:The Harveian oration - delivered at the Royal College of Physicians, London, June 24, 1870 (IA b22307643).pdf/45

 upon posterity, there is perhaps none higher than this, that his mind was intent upon the means which might be best calculated to extinguish contagious diseases. It might seem Utopian were I to attempt to fore- shadow the results of a perfect preventive medicine and hygiene; but I may at least say that, followed to their conclusions, they would leave us with a greatly reduced nomenclature of disease.

By drainage of the soil alone, the mor- tality from pulmonary consumption has been in several places largely reduced. By drainage, as it affects the purity of water- supply, the prevalence of enteric fever has also been greatly limited. And whatever may be the ultimate value of the germ theory of disease, had it done no more than promote the purity of the water-supply to large towns, its good results would have been incalculable. We already owe to it the Metropolitan Drainage Works, the Thames Embankment, the Royal Commis- sion on the Water-supply of large Towns,