H.—3l

80

For ten years this is the first time I have heard of such a thing happening amongst the Ngapuhis. They had "given"up liquor-drinking long before the Act was passed. Great darkness has rilled me for this great temptation which causes the rangatira, the marae, the ture, and the whakwpono to fall. But the law has kept on its way; the Council of Pewhairangi has fined those rangatiras £10 for the breach of the law, and, further, the Council has taken action in regard to the giving of liquor to women at the feast. All the hapus in this district have taken hold of things most energetically, except the Hapu of Kaka Porowini. Since 1902 he has been the cause of much trouble. He and his people were fined for not paying the dog-tax ; and he was the cause of one of the members of the Council resigning his seat. When I went round to get the census they refused to give their names because it was Kaka Porowini's tikanga. In regard to vaccination, this is a good undertaking. There are two things, however, which have caused a little trouble : First, when the doctor arrived at the schoolhouse to vaccinate the schoolchildren, the schoolmaster refused to allow the children to be vaccinated during school hours. Second, some of the children had to be vaccinated three times before they took : this is the fault of the vaccine. I want you to again ask the doctor to go on vaccinating them, as there are fully two hundred children riot yet vaccinated. In regard to early marriages, this is one of the great diseases which make the Maori's burden heavy. When weaklings marry weaklings the result must be weaklings. The only remedy would be to pass an Act regulating this evil. Kia ora.

PATHOLOGICAL EEPORT. Dr. Mason, Chief Health Officer, Department of Public Health, Wellington, 10th August, 1906. We have the honour to submit the attached tabulated report of the work done in the laboratories at Sydney Street and at Wallaceville during the past year. The total number of specimens received for examination was 1,006 —a very great increase on the number (716) sent in last year. Of these, 834 were dealt with at Sydney Street laboratory, and 172 at the Wallaceville one. The investigation of the milk-supplies and water-supplies of the colony has materially increased this year's output of work, especially as in many cases the analysis led to a fairly elaborate research, the details of which are not shown in the tabulated list. We would particularly draw attention to the excellent work done by our assistants, Mr. J. A. Hurley at Sydney Street, and Mr. G. H. Barker at Wallaceville. The position they hold is a responsible one, entailing much technical skill, accuracy in the smallest detail, and a whole-hearted devotion to the subject. The fact that they are able to fill the posts so satisfactorily will, we trust, be adequately recognised. R. H. Makgill, Bacteriologist. J. A. Gilruth, Pathologist.

Table showing Result of Examination of Pathological Specimens.

Material. Object of Examinations. Positive. Negative. Total. Sputum lor tubercle For hydatids .. For inflnenza bacillus .. For other organisms 133 217 6 7 1 4 350 13 1 4 *■ ■ * • * • * Total sputa examined 368 Purulent and other discharges and fluids For pyogenic organisms For tubercle For gonococci... For plague For parasites For other conditions 2 3 2 16 3 14 12 5 18 17 12 Total disoharges examined .. "7 4 11 14 1 3 6 11 63 25 1 9 Blood For typhoid (Widal's) .. For leprosy For other conditions .. Total blood samples 35 Throat swabs For diphtheria bacillus For other conditions .. 43 29 1 13 72 Total throat swabs examined 86 Tissues examined by section For malignancy For tubercle bacillus .. For other conditions .. 72 72 2 6 28 12 144 8 40 H " " ' H " ' ' Total tissues examined 1 192