H.—22

18

The Town Clebk:, Port Chalmers, to the Ciiaieman, Central Board of Health, Dunedin. Sib,— Town Hall, Port Chalmers, 6th January, 1575. I am instructed by his Worship the Mayor and Councillors, as the Local Board of Health for Port Chalmers, to forward to you a copy of a communication from Dr. Drysdale, of this place, forwarded by him to the Board in terms of clause 17 of " The Public Health Act, 1872," and to say that a Committee consisting of his Worship the Mayor, with Councillors Middleditch, Rose, and McKenzie, has been appointed "to watch over the town, and to confer with Dr. Drysdale on the matter, with power to act if necessary." I have, &c, John Laing, The Chairman, Central Board of Health, Dunedin. Town Clerk. John Deysdale, Esq., M.D., to his Worship the Matoe, as Chairman, Local Board of Health, Port Chalmers. Sic, — Port Chalmers, 4th January, 1875. In accordance with the terms of clause 17, " Public Health Act, 1872," I have the honor to inform you that a case of typhus fever, which has unfortunately terminated fatally, has occurred in Mary Street. Without positively asserting that the cause of the disease is to be ascribed to the locality, I may remark that I have always been of opinion that Mary Street, situated as it is directly over a gully into which flows all the drainage of the neighbourhood, is a most favourable spot for the outbreak or spread of an epidemic of this nature. I have, &c, His Worship the Mayor, Port Chalmers. John Detsdale, M.D. The Clebk to the Boaed, Invercargill Eoad District, to the Chaihman, Central Board of Health, Dunedin. Sic, — Invercargill, 12th April, 1875. I herewith forward sanitary report of the Invercargill Eoad District by the Medical Officer appointed by the Board for that purpose. I have, &c, Lewis Longitet, Clerk to the Board. To J. Macandrew, Esq., Chairman, Central Board of Health, Dunedin. E. W. Toeath, Esq., M.E.C.S., to the Chaieman, Local Board of Health, Invercargill. Sic, — Invercargill, 6th April, 1875. At the desire of your Board, I furnish you a report of the sanitary state of your district. The difficulty experienced in districts of making arrangements which are necessary for the proper exercise of the Medical Officer of Health's duties, has proved all but insuperable. To the present moment, I believe that I am accurate in stating that in some of the most important of them the Medical Officer of Health does not receive any returns, either of mortality or sickness, for his several districts, and that he is practically dependent for information in these fundamental matters upon materials gleaned from the Inspector of Nuisances, so that, under these circumstances, the following sanitary report is not all that I should wish it to be: — I have much pleasure in stating that the sanitary state of your district is most satisfactory. There are at the present moment no diseases of either a contagious or infectious character existing. Typhoid fever, which arises from filth, bad drainage, or unwholesome water, is unknown; but that may be due not to the sanitary precautions of your Board, or inhabitants of the district, but rather to the paucity of population. There is one part of your district I should like to draw your attention to, where offensive drainage runs along the sides of the roadways, and lodges in disgusting pools anywhere, or, if it has a sufficiently long course, sinks into the earth, or gradually evaporates. In such a district, too great precautions cannot be taken, as it is every day getting more closely built upon. Under these circumstances, I should advise that no household refuse matter be allowed to accumulate about the premises as at present, and that every householder be compelled to have a connecting drain with the main, which a few have at present; and the main drain be covered in, and not open as at present. In conclusion, I would urge upon the Board the necessity of carrying out the following resolutions :— 1. The prevention of overcrowding. 2. The proper keeping of common lodging-houses. 3. The keeping of pigs and other animals, and the proper construction of the places in which they are slaughtered or kept. 4. The proper construction of new buildings intended for human occupation; the cleansing of privies, and the removal of refuse of all kinds. I must also state that I am very much pleased with the many great improvements that are going on, and the energy displayed by your Board in the matter of drainage, and I only hope, now that you have taken the matter up, that you will continue your exertions, and see that a proper system of drainage be carried out, as the health of your district mainly depends upon it. If not, a more terrible scourge than any you have been visited with will spring up in your midst—typhoid fever, which has no respect to persons : both rich and poor, young and old, suffer alike from its devastating effects. I have, &c, E. W. Toeatii, M.E.C.S. The Chairman, Invercargill District Local Board of Health.