E.—7

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The school was again able to render signal service, to the community during the epidemic of influenza. The senior students did much valuable work in districts whore no qualified medical men wore, available, and. as acting house surgeons in tho different hospitals of the Dominion, while the juniors took the places of the trained nurses who were so woefully stricken on our hospital staff. The entering class still continues to grow, and this year has exceeded the, numbers of last year, being well over seventy. Tho total number of students in the school is now about 275, and the matter of immediate provision of increased accommodation for the larger classes must now be faced. I cannot too strongly urge on tho Council the fact that within five years the school has grown from being a small one to being one of the more important ones of the Empire in point of size, that it is as large now as the Melbourne School was five years ago, and that it is essential that it shall have the additional accommodation and teaching staff that its number of students demands. During tho year under review an anonymous donor's generosity has placed the department of medicine on a much more satisfactory footing, and tho arrangements on foot for this department of the school promise to add materially to its efficiency ; but all tho other departments require strengthening by addition to their accommodation and staff, and by the more adequate payment of the teachers. During the year we have lost the services of two of the oldest teachers in the school. Dr. Roberts retired on reaching the age-limit, having taught pathology for a long series of years, and Dr. Colquhoun lias also relinquished his duties after thirty-four years' service, during which time he was one of tho mainstays of tho school, and gave their training in medicine to nearly a third of the practitioners now on tho list of active members of tho profession on the Now Zealand register. The olinical work at the hospital has increased largely, and tho addition of Major White to the department of orthopaedic surgery has been of much service. Dr. Bathgate has returned to the hospital staff, and this addition to the teaching strength in the out-patient department is, with the larger classes, a groat gain. Tho Minister of Public Health has again granted eight Dominion Scholarships to fifth-year students, and the educational value of those prizes is now more fully appreciated by the students. The scheme, can now be said to be in working-order. Tho scholars who have, graduated have justified their selection.

Report of the Dean of the Mining Faculty. . For the session of 1918 tho School of Mines showed an attendance of thirteen students, of whom twelve were registered for the full associateship course. All passed the term examinations, except one in mathematics and one in mechanics. Three students in their second year, on reaching the age of twenty, volunteered for active service during the first term. During the second term the Dean of the Faculty formulated a scheme for lengthening the course of study for the associateship in mining from three to four years. The Faculty unanimously resolved to recommend the University Council to extend the courses of study in all the divisions to four years. Tho revised syllabus and courses of study were approved by the Council at its October meeting. The separation of tho associateship into the three divisions of mining, metallurgy, and geology is still retained. For tho first three years tho course of study is common to all, and specialization begins in the fourth year. Additional advanced courses in workshop practice, have been introduced. Extract from the Report of the Acting Director of the Dental School. The past year will stand out in tho history of tho Dental School as showing tho first practical results of the bursary scheme. Whereas no new students entered in 1917, and during that year only throe students taking the, full course wore in attendance, in the year 1918 seventeen new students enrolled, making a total of nineteen students taking the full course. Recognizing that, unless the giving of bursaries could be continued, this success would not keep up, the New Zealand Dental Association arranged a deputation to wait upon the Government to point out the need of properly qualified dentists, and to urge the Government to immediately institute a scheme of State, dental bursaries. As a result the Minister of Public Health has instituted ten dental bursaries annually, and by doing so has laid tho foundation of a State dental service. Although this decision was not made known till late in December, and the postponing of tho Matriculation Examination caused some confusion, sufficient applications were received to enable the ten bursaries to be allotted, and the bursars are now in attendance. Altogether there are now thirty-two students taking the full course, and there is every indication that the number will reach sixty by 1921, by which time the Dental School should be in full working-order. Charitable Dental Work. —Tho increased subsidy to the Dental School by the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board enabled a whole-time dental surgeon to bo employed. Throughout the year the dental surgeon has been fully occupied, and the work becoming too much for one man, an additional dental surgeon was appointed as from the Ist February, 1919. Mechanical Dentistry Course. —Four students attended this course throughout the year, and although several applications were received, no more students for the, mechanical course only are being taken, as all the, accommodation is needed for students taking the. full course. Donations. —During the year several welcome donations were received, amounting in all to £37 15s, Museum specimens wore also received from several dentists from various parts of Now' Zealand,