E.—7

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addition to a similar payment which is being made to Professor Sale ; whilst the travelling-expenses of members of the new Council may possibly not be an inconsiderable item. The Council is constantly -being faced with the necessity of making alterations to existing buildings, and is spending upwards of £200 in equipping the chemical laboratory in an up-to-date manner. A return presented to Parliament during the year showed that the Otago public had at one time and another donated no less than £52,567 18s. Bd. to the University. The Council is not unmindful of the assistance rendered by the Government, but it may be urged that a public which has striven so hard to advance the cause of higher education is especially deserving of a large measure of Government support. It is evident that if the Council is efficiently to carry out the functions entrusted to it, it must look to Your Excellency's Government for further financial assistance. In this connection I would beg to express the Council's appreciation of the grant of £1,000 in aid of liquidating the debenture debt, which now stands at £10,000. This debt was incurred some years ago in providing additional accommodation in the Medical School, and the payment of interest is a heavy burden on the funds. As the Council has no moneys with which to meet the liability, it is hoped that your Excellency's Advisers may this year make such provision on the estimates as will enable the whole of this debt to be liquidated. The Council notes with pleasure that the grant paid last year in aid of the Mining School was £750, and it trusts that the same amount may again be paid during the current year. Attached Your Excellency will find reports from the Chairman of the Professorial Board, the Dean of the Medical School, the Director of the Mining School, the Director of the Dental School, the Curator of the Museum, and the Director of the Home Science School. I have, &c, J. Allen, Chancellor.

The Medical School. —Report of the Director (Professor John H. Scott, M.D.). The school continues to increase, and there are now 126 students attending the classes in medicine. This is more than in- any previous year, and our students are drawn from all parts of the Dominion. This steady growth shows that parents and students are well satisfied with the thoroughness of the instruction given here, and that the criticism levelled at the school during the early part of the year has no foundation in fact. Ten candidates passed the final examination for degrees in medicine held by the University of New Zealand last January, and are now qualified medical practitioners. Of these, three are acting as House Surgeons to the Dunedin Hospital, two are House Surgeons to the Christchurch Hospital, and one is acting in a similar capacity in Wellington. The travelling scholarship awarded annually by the New Zealand University, and the scholarship offered by the Middlesex Hospital, have been awarded to Thaddeus Julian, who is at present acting as one of the House Surgeons to the Dunedin Hospital. Last year's scholar has now returned to the Dominion, and has entered upon the practice of his profession. Our teaching in several departments is still carried on under considerable difficulties : some of our laboratories are much too small, and the accommodation in the old-fashioned dissecting-room now in use is quite inadequate for the large class now using it. There are sixty-four students receiving instruction in practical anatomy during the present winter, and it is quite overcrowded. Dr. Newlands has resigned his position as Surgical Tutor, and has been been appointed assistant to the Professor of Surgery, while Dr. Allen now fills the position vacated by Dr. Newlands. An extension in the teaching of midwifery and diseases of women has also been arranged for, but a further increase in the teaching staff is desirable. The post-graduate courses inaugurated last year were continued this summer. Those attending them expressed themselves as much pleased with given.

The Dental School. —Report of the Director (Professor H. P. Pickerill, M.D., Ch.B., M.D.S., L.D.S.). During the past year sixteen students have been in attendance at the Dental School; of these, ten were degree students, four were ordinary post-graduate students, and two attended the special post-graduate course. Two students completed their courses and passed their final examinations last January. The following represents the clinical work of the Hospital: Total number of operations, 3,639 ; total number of fillings, 576 ; anaesthetic cases, 148 ; simple extractions, 235 ; crowns and bridges, 44 ; artificial dentures, 129 ; number of fresh patients registered, 373 ; number of attendances of patients, 3,353. In conjunction with the medical faculty a special short post-graduate course was held during March last. The subjects of the classes were " Principles and Practice of the Preventive Treatment of Dental Caries," " Porcelain-work," " Cavity-preparation and Gold Filling," " Crown and Bridge Work," " Mechanical Dentistry," and " Gold Inlay Work." Unfortunately, these were only very poorly attended, only two dentists availing themselves of the opportunity offered. This is largely to be attributed to the very unreliable nature of the addresses given in the Dentists' Register issued from the office of the Minister for Internal Affairs. The greater number of circulars sent out to the younger dentists all over the country was returned by the postal officials. I have on more than one occasion found it extremely difficult to reach that class of dentist whom the Dental School would particularly benefit. I would suggest one of two remedies : (1) That dentists at the time of registration should be informed that unless they intimate their changes of address their names will be struck off the register, as is done in Great Britain ; (2) that the Public Health Department should furnish a list of all dentists practising in the various towns in New Zealand, as is done at the present time with regard to medical practitioners.