48

H.—3l

Section 5, Charitable and Hospitals Institutions Amendment Act, 1910, has been given efiect to by the Napier Borough Council. • . n a^ Legal Proceedings in Sanitary Matters.—These have been compiled by Inspector Gardiner, and are enclosed on separate sheets. . , No modifications or improvements have been made m the boro u ghby-lawsdurmg the year Medical Inspection of Sehool-chOdren.- One inspection of the children of the Catholic school with reference to an outbreak of diphtheria was made. . ZnMmfairy B«*Wt«? e .-BuildingB wholly condemned, 15; condemned pending repairs bemg effected 50 ; buildings pulled down, 9; buildings condemned and now unoccupied, 5 ; buildings reP thl in the Napier office for 1911 were 435, but all of these did not occur in the borough, as deaths occurring in Napier South, Greenmeadows, Tarad ale <&veare registered in Napier! One death was registered from blood-poisoning, one from hydatids, and fourteen fr ° m Nap2- r continues to be one of the cleanest towns in Australasia ; other towns may equal it in this respect but I believe that none excel it. This, coupled with the fact that it enjoys a large Portion of possible sunshine (2,600 hours on an average per annum), makes it a healthy place of residence, and &CC^inX Gardiner took over the duties of Sanitary Inspector for the Hawke's Bay Hospital District. I am glad to be able to place on record that I have found him capable. conscientious, energetic, and tactful. I nav e, &o. Fred de Lisle, L.X.C.P., JJ.r.n., District Health Officer. Wellington, Hawke's Bay, Nelson, and Marlborough. T ° Hospital Boards in the district took over the work of controlling infectious disease imposed upon them by section 5 of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Amendment Act 1910 and appointed Inspectors for that purpose: To Waiapu Inspector Terry w-as appointed having been transferred from the Mental Hospitals Department to Hawke's Bay Inspector GaXei was transferred from Stratford ; to Wairarapa North, Inspector Cairns was transferred from Masterton Borough- to Wairarapa South, Inspector Miller (previously the Departments Inspector k thatdTstrS)? to Wellington, Inspectors Eeed and York appointed ; to Palmerston North, Inspector O'Biden formerly Department's Inspector in that district; to Wanganui, Inspector Pargeter ;to Haw rtsSol Injector Gray, from Wellington; to Taranaki Inspector Kendall, formerly BorTgh Engineer, New Plymouth; to Wairau-Picton, Inspector Johnston, formerly departmental been made in the Cook, Waipawa, Patea Nelson, or Buller Hospital Districts butbefore the end of the year the Cook Hospital Board were taking steps to fill the position. Dx ring he year Wairoa ceased to be a portion of the Hawke's Bay District and became a separate hoßpiSfcrict, and, unfortunately, has since been without an Inspector. It is hoped that an appomtmmil \: arrangements have been made, under section 94 of the. Public Health Act between the Hospital Board and the various local authorities witMn its boundaries, whereby the Hospital Boat's Inspector has been also made Sanitary Inspector (Inspector of Nuisances) or the concerned, thus at small cost providing efficient mspection by a properly-tramed Inspector i n localities where the local authority could not afford to provide such service by itself, and at the same time relieving the Hospital Board of part of its burden. Section 83 of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act has not been taken advantage of in the district though in one instance negotiations are in progress. CMe"inspector Schauer and Inspector Wilson are both retained by the Department for special work the latter beino- also Inspector for several local bodies in the Rangitikei County. It is to be noted wfth regret from the year's vital statistics that, although the general death-rate oi Well ngton Slower than m j of the chief centres, the infantile death-rate is sti 1 considerably higher The death-rate of children under five is also high. This points to some local conditions especially a&ctino the ve ry young , an d of these the milk-supply is naturally the most important, this forming the SStX-supply known, and is borne out by the number of warning letter7aid necessary after analysis of samples taken. This Department has taken samples from all parts of the city, and where necessary action has been taken the fines imposed have been so low as to make it almost pay a vendor to run the S ™ any rate the result of prosecution does not seem to have materially improved the supply. ThellealtrCommittee of the City Council is now considering a new proposal by which it is hoped the Sadfirb^Sto ensure the provision of a good milk-supply, at least, so far as infants and young ™S, a£ concerned The carriage and storage of milk are very important items both m he vendor' dlsfaZt ng depot and & the home, and I regret to say that faults apparently exist m should tampei: ft with - this2article.