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APPENDIX.

REPORTS OF DISTRICT HEALTH OFFICERS.

AUCKLAND DISTRICT. J. Malcolm Mason, Esq., M.D., &c, Chief Health Officer. Department of Public Health, Auckland, 1905. I have the honour to submit to you the fifth annual report of the Auckland Health District, that for the year from the Ist April, 1904, to the 31st March, 1905. In previous reports, Dr. Makgill, my predecessor, has deplored the absence of some tangible evidence that the expenditure of much energy in the interest of the public health of this district had not been without avail. The statistics of this period show a remarkable diminution in the incidence of infectious diseases. To what extent this favourable evidence results from an enlivened interest amongst the public and the various local authorities in the welfare of the public health ; how much is due to the departmental efforts ; and how much the unusual meteorological conditions of the past year have influenced or inhibited the growth of pathogenic organisms can only be judged when in the succession of years a long series of these statistics is obtainable for comparison. It will suffice at present to say that no one will deny that, using the word in its widest hygienic sense, Auckland and suburbs are " cleaner " now than at the time surveyed in the first annual report. No one, however, but the officer in the district can be more fully aware that much, very much, has yet to be done to gain a few more steps on the approach to that bridge which leads from the past decadent stage in matters hygienic to a future wherein the Auckland Health District can claim superiority over others. Having in mind vital statistics favourable in character, and that the growth of that better feeling towards health legislation to which Dr. Makgill referred in his previous report still continues, it can hardly be said that the " bridge " may be one of " sighs." v[tal statistics. Birth-rate. The liegistrar-Generai's returns for 1904 give a mean for the four chief centres of 26-88 per 1,000 of population, Auckland being the highest with 29-80, thus maintaining the satisfactory increase noted with respect to the previous year. The position of Auckland City compares most favourably with the other cities :— Birth-rate rer 1,000. Auckland City .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3108 Wellington .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 26-77 Christchurch ... .. .. .. .. .. ..27-53 Dunedin .. .. .. :. .. .. .. .. 22-40 The birth-rate for the whole colony was 26-94 per 1,000. Death-rate. The returns for 1904 show a mean death-rate for the whole colony of 9-57, and for the four chief centres (including their suburbs) of 10-73, the latter being over 1 per 1,000 lower than last year, which in its turn was nearly 1 per 1,000 lower than its predecessor. Auckland City and Suburbs. Comparing Auckland City and Auckland and its suburbs with the average of the four centres of population for the past five years, we get the following result : — Auckland Auckland and Average of City. Suburbs. Four Centre?. 1900 .. .. .. .. .. 13-60 11-81 10-71 1901 .. .. .. .. .. 13-10 11-80 11-50 1902 .. .. .. .. .. 17-21 15-27 12 74 1903 .. .. .. .. .. 12-97 12-23 11-73 1904 .. .. .. .. .. 1111 10-20 10-73 Mean for five years .. .. 13-60 12-26 11-48 The following are the death-rates, excluding the deaths of children under one year : — Auckland and Averag; of Suburbs. Four Centres. 1900 .. .. .. .. .. .. 8-26 8-27 1901 .. .. .. .. .. .. 8-65 8-96 1902 .. .. .. .. .. .. 11-10 9-56 1903 .. .. .. .. .. .. 8-57 9-14 1904 .. .. .. .. .. .. 8-11 830 Mean of five years ~ ~ 8-94 8-85 I—H. 31.