66

H.—3l

number of houses pretty well past their existence, and which will have to be demolished in the not-far-distant future, as they are, many of them, becoming dilapidated and in need of repair ; in many cases they have been built close to the ground. A main sewer runs along the main street and part of another, which can be flushed at its highest end from a creek. The water-supply is almost entirely from roof tanks, several of the wells formerly used having been found to be contaminated with sea-water, and having been therefore disused. Nightsoil service : This has been under consideration for some time, and a municipal service will, I hope, be inaugurated shortly. House-drains, where they exist, are frequently badly laid and jointed. Butchers', bakers', and provision shops are fairly well kept, and stables, cow-sheds, &c, are also in pretty good order. Hotels are as a rule well kept. As this town is a health resort for people throughout Southland, I shall have to make a prolonged visitation to it this year. Miscellaneous. Vaccine-lymph Distribution.—During the year, 1,837 tubes of lymph have been given out to medical men and Public Vaccinators in my district, as compared with 1,808 last year. Provision lor Infectious Diseases. —While the Hospital Boards of Southland and Wallace have spontaneously made or are making provision for such diseases, and for incurable cases of tuberculosis, I regret to say that the Dunedin Board has on two occasions absolutely refused to admit cases of scarlet fever to the Hospital, or to provide for them otherwise ; and that, while the former Boards have or are having special hospitals built for these, the latter is still shilly-shallying over the matter on various pretexts. Nursing-homes and Private Hospitals.—ln the course of the year I inspected forty-eight nursinghomes, all of which I considered good enough to recommend for license, though in two I held back my approval till an improvement was made to my satisfaction. Anti-spitting Placards. —The notices suggested by Inspector Gladstone against spitting in the bars of hotels, auction and store rooms, and public offices, &c, printed in English and Chinese, have met with general approval, being now hung up prominently in these places, perhaps with some good effect. Butchers' Hawking-carts. —After several conferences the master butchers in Dunedin passed a resolution that it was advisable in the interests of cleanliness and public safety that these hawking-carts should be done away with, and that meat should be carried through the streets in parcels ordered for delivery, the carts carrying no scales, &c. The initiative of this is due to Inspector Gladstone, and in time this highly desirable regulation will, it is hoped, be carried out. In conclusion it may be claimed that the work of our Department is progressing slowly but surely, in my district at least, of which I can only speak, and that many improvements are being carried out in many places. In Dunedin the sewering of the town is progressing, the new water-supply is approaching completion, and—though perhaps this does not bear directly on the public health —the work of supplying the town with electric light is being pushed on ; in Mosgiel a new system of drainage is nearly completed, with a septic installation at its termination ; in Gore the sewerage system is now in full working-order, and many of the houses are connected with it; in Otautau most of the houses in the main (practically only) street have connections with the sewer for their slops, &c. ; and in many of the smaller towns a municipal collection of nightsoil is either in operation or in contemplation. the various Departments with whom our Acts bring us into contact we have been working harmoniously during the year, mutually helping one another and acting together. Frank Ogston, M.D., &c, District Health Officer for the Otaao-Southland District. APPENDIX. CAMBEIDGE SANATORIUM. The number of new cases admitted since the lsf April, 1905, was 142, which with the 53 cases already under treatment on that date brings the total number of cases treated during the past year to 195. Of the 53 patients who were under treatment on the Ist April, 1905, 10 were apparently " cured," 25 left improved in health, and 18 were discharged incurable. The tubercle bacillus was not found in 3 out of the 10 apparently " cured." Of the 142 patients admitted during the past year, 25 were discharged apparently " cured," 36 left benefited, 35 were discharged as incurable, and 2 died within seven days and twelve weeks respectively after admission. There remained 44 patients under treatment on the 31st March, 1900. The total days of treatment numbered 14,143, with an average of 99| days, the longest period being 321 days and the shortest 7 days. The average weekly number of patients under treatment was 50. The patients who contributed £1 and upwards per week numbered 87, and the non-payers 55. Eleven patients had resided in New Zealand less than two years at the time of their admission. The number of those born in New Zealand was 84, including 1 Maori and 1 half-caste, from other colonies 7, from Great Britain and Ireland 47, and from the Continent of Europe 2.