H.—s.

9

OTAGO. No. 7. The Chaieman, Central Board of Health, Otago, to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet. Sib,— Dunedin, 26th May, 1870. In reply to your telegram, in which you request to be furnished with report on the sanitary condition of the province, I have the honor to state that there is nothing very special to report on the subject. In Dunedin, the Local Health Board has incurred a considerable expenditure in the erection of a fever hospital and otherwise, in the adoption of stringent measures for the suppression of scarlet fever, of which there have been a number of cases, supposed to have emanated from Melbourne. 1 am glad to say that the result of the action of the Local Health Board has been successful. The various other Health Boards throughout the province have also been very assiduous in the performance of their functions, and are devoting as much attention to sanitary arrangements as the means at their disposal will admit of, and as can well be expected of them under the incipient circumstances of a young and thinly-peopled country. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. J. Macandeew.

WESTLAND. No. 8. The Chairman, Central Board of Health, Westland, to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetary. Sic, — Superintendent's Office, 12th June, 1870. In compliance with your request, I have the honor to forward report from the Central Board of Health for the past year. I enclose report from the Provincial Surgeon upon the general health of the province; also reports from the Local Boards of Health of Boss, Okarito, Kanieri, and Hokitika. The delay which has occurred in furnishing you with the yearly report has been caused by the non-receipt of reports from some of the Local Boards, some of which are not yet to hand. The Provincial Surgeon in his report alluded to one case of typhoid fever which occurred at Stafford Town, and of which you have already received full information. lam glad now to state that the patient there referred to has completely recovered. Since that report was sent in to the Central Board several other cases have occurred —namely, two in Hokitika, one of which proved fatal, and one in the Kanieri District, which was also fatal. There does not, however, appear to be any cause for apprehension as to the disease spreading extensively, as the Local Boards, acting upon the suggestions of tho Central Board, are taking such precautions as their circumstances will permit against such a contingency. Seven meetings have been held by the Central Board during the past year, and its efforts have been principally directed to making suggestions to the various local Boards, pointing out to them where they have failed to give effect to the provisions of the Act, and how they may most successfully be put in operation. As you have been already informed in previous correspondence, the Board is very much hampered in its action by the want of funds ; and it is to be hoped that during the approaching Session of Parliament something may be done towards providing it with the necessary means for undertaking works which may be deemed essential to the health and well-being of the community, such as the proper drainage of our towns. The funds at the disposal of the Local Boards in Westland are barely sufficient to enable them to carry out the ordinary provisions of their Eoad Board duties, leaving nothing to meet any extraordinary expenditure for which occasion may arise, while acting as Local Boards of Health. I have, &c, James A. Bohar, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Chairman, Central Board of Health. *

Enclosure in No. 8. Copy of Report furnished by Fitzherbert Dermott, Esq., Medical Officer for the Province of "Westland, upon the state of the Public Health. Sib, — I have the honor to submit a short report on the general condition of health which has prevailed in this province up to the 30th April, 1870. I have much pleasure to state that tho health of the population during the period referred to has been extremely good. "With one exception, there has not been a single case of contagious or infectious disease reported to the various Boards of Health ; nor have I any reason to suppose that such prevailed. The exceptional case referred to is that of a female school-teacher who recently arrived in Stafford from Nelson to take charge of the G-overnment school. Some weeks after arrival, she was attacked with typhus fever, and very little if any doubt exists that the infection was produced beyond the Province of Westland. The prompt action of the Staiford Local Board of Health prevented the spread of the disease, and the patient is now rapidly recovering. 2—H. 5.