I give in the
Appendix a letter from Colonel Fergusson, which tells fully the
nature of the sanitary work and of Fleeming's part and success in
it. It will be enough to say here that it was a scheme of
protection against the blundering of builders and the dishonesty of
plumbers. Started with an eye rather to the houses of the rich,
Fleeming hoped his Sanitary Associations would soon extend their
sphere of usefulness and improve the dwellings of the poor. In
this hope he was disappointed; but in all other ways the scheme
exceedingly prospered, associations sprang up and continue to
spring up in many quarters, and wherever tried they have been found
of use.
Here, then, was a serious employment; it has proved highly useful
to mankind; and it was begun besides, in a mood of bitterness,
under the shock of what Fleeming would so sensitively feel - the
death of a whole family of children. Yet it was gone upon like a
holiday jaunt. I read in Colonel Fergusson's letter that his
schoolmates bantered him when he began to broach his scheme; so did
I at first, and he took the banter as he always did with enjoyment,
until he suddenly posed me with the question: 'And now do you see
any other jokes to make? Well, then,' said he, 'that's all right.
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