8,~3.

should be under the control of the Medical Officer. Each infant should be weighed every week, and its condition recorded. The children are the most valuable asset of the State: no trouble should be spared in their rearing, and the artificial feeding of infants should not be endangered by ignorance and mercenary considerations. Control over girls: It, is, I think, a great defect in our present system that we have no control over girls of weak intellect after the age of twenty-one. I think the Act should be amended to enable the Minister of Education to retain such control in the case of girls who are certified to be unable or unfit to take care of themselves. Such control should continue until by marriage or other arrangements a suitable provision is made for their proper care. The State, having taken these girls away from their own homes, and assumed the position of a parent towards them, should fulfil the same duties as other parents in watching over this class of girls as long as may be necessary for their safety and welfare. It cannot be right to turn them adrift at twenty-one, without any guardian to look to or any home to go to. I think the Receiving Home should remain open to them when out of a situation, and that the matron should continue to exercise supervision over them. There are at present eight or ten girls belonging to the Receiving Home, two belonging to St. Mary's Home, and six belonging to the Charitable Aid Board, urgently requiring such provision and care. There are also many belonging to Te Oranga, to Mount Magdala, and to the Samaritan Home, who ought to continue under control beyond the age of twenty-one. Thus one of the girls at the Samaritan Home has had eight children by different men, another has had six, another four, and several have had three. If such women are unwilling or unable to contribute to the support of their children they should be prevented from getting them. At present they only make a convenience of the Samaritan and other Homes. In conclusion, I think the whole question of neglected, of reformatory, of illegitimate, and of defective children is one of such magnitude and importance that it should be dealt with comprehensively under the category of " State children." The dreadful conditions recently described in Sydney ought to be an incentive to prevent such developments here. The first expense of dealing with this difficult problem, although very great, is much less than that resulting from postponing it, since criminals and lunatics are much more costly to the State than properly trained children. W. H. Symes, M.D., The Secretary for Education, Wellington, Medical Officer.

Otago. Sir,— Dunedin, 31st March, 1903. I have the honour to furnish the annual report on Caversham Industrial School for the past year. In accordance with Regulation 25, I inspected the school monthly, and satisfied myself that the inmates were properly fed and kept clean and tidy. The ventilation .of the building is satisfactory, and the water-supply is ample. The other sanitary arrangements are all that can be desired. No serious accident has occurred during the year, and the ailments, as usual, have all been of the minor kind. There was, indeed, a slight occurrence of chicken-pox, which did not spread. But, most unfortunately, we have had an outbreak of scarlet fever, which, in spite of every precaution, has not entirely disappeared even now. Luckily the type has been one of excessive mildness, and not a single death has resulted. With a resident number of 127 boys and girls, twenty-four boys and four girls have been attacked. All of them have either completely recovered or are in a fair way of so doing. On the 6th February seven cases occurred simultaneously. In the absence of any arrangement for isolation, they were at once removed to the temporary fever hospital in Caversham, which the local authorities had opened and put under the charge of Dr. Coughtrey. We have to congratulate ourselves on this piece of foresight; otherwise the disease must have spread throughout the school, and with increased numbers the type would have taken on a virulence which Ido not care to contemplate. When Dr. Coughtrey reported the cases to be convalescent we transferred them to the quarters at Quarantine Island, which we found in every respect suitable for their accommodation, till the expiry of the six weeks during which time they continued to be infectious. I took occasion to visit them when the attendant, one of the school staff, reported any illness. There were a few cases of sore throat, and one boy had rheumatic fever. At the end of the six weeks they returned to the school. This procedure worked satisfactorily till the temporary hospital was closed, and we had to make provision for isolating any new cases in our own grounds. Part of the recreation hall was boarded off, and was made as comfortable as circumstances admitted. The girls were secluded in an iron erection, separated from but convenient to the school. In all these arrangements I got the greatest assistance from the Manager, Mr. Burlinson, whom I consulted on every point as it arose, and who at once pushed on the alterations required with all speed. There never was any panic, and the attendants were assiduous in watching for any development amongst the inmates. I sincerely hope that their behaviour will be recognised by the Department carrying out at once the erection of such buildings as will enable us—independently of any outside assistance —to isolate at once any suspected case of. contagious disease, and give a fair chance of stamping out an epidemic which otherwise must spread throughout the school. This advice I have had occasion to give on more than one occasion in my annual reports. I forgot to mention that all along disinfection was carefully attended to by free ventilation, sulphur-fumes, and copious use of carbolic preparations. I have, &c, Robert Burns, F.R.C.S.E., The Secretary for Education, Wellington, Medical Officer.

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