chloral, or
ether, and will yield a chance for health that no drug can give. For the
last few years, Philadelphia has shown a diminished death-rate. Dr.
WILLIAM PEPPER, who has lately investigated the sanitary condition of
that city, commenting upon the gratifying fact just stated, says, "While
thus showing an average rate of mortality more favorable than that found
in any other city containing over 500,000 inhabitants, Philadelphia has
recently (1874) attained a degree of healthfulness almost unparalleled;
namely, with a population at that time of 775,000, the number of deaths
was but 14,966, giving a death-rate of only 19.3 per thousand. These
very favorable results are largely due to the abundant and cheap
water-supply, and to the opportunities given, even to the poorest
citizens, for the enjoyment of pure country air in the great Fairmount
Park, which contains 2,991 acres. The extent to which this is valued by
the citizens may be inferred from the fact, that, during the year 1875,
the park was visited by over eleven million persons." There is no
reason why a park in Boston should not yield as good a sanitary result
as one in Philadelphia.

While looking at the sanitary aspects of this subject, let us not forget
that a park laid out in accordance with the plan of the Park
Commissioners will utilize localities that would otherwise become
plague-spots, and nurseries of disease. The low lands along the banks of
Charles River, portions of the Back Bay, and other sections that might
be mentioned, are sure to become unhealthy localities,--stations for
distributing the germs of disease throughout their neighborhood and at a
distance from them,--unless they are reserved, and left unoccupied. The
most extravagant way of disposing of such localities is for the city to
permit them to be built over, "improved" is the phrase, I believe, and
then suffer the consequences, in the way of increase of disease and
taxes, which follow such sort of improvements.

Let us now pass from the sanitary to the educational aspect of our
subject. The educational value of a park to the community of a large
city is second only to its sanitary value. We are too apt to think that
education is the exclusive function of the school, and that books and
school-teachers are the only educators. This is a grievous mistake. The
education of the home and street, of the workshop and store, of the
church and theatre, of the base-ball club and the evening party,