ORGANIC MANURE AND SCARLET FEVER.

Dn Payne, inedical officer to tho County Lod.il Board of Health, lias just been on a touf of inspection to the Chinese gardens, and the results of his visits has been convoyed to tho Chairman of the Board in thcjfollowing letter: - . '[ Thames, September 16,1881.- Sir,— In accordance with instructions, I visited to-day the gardens in Mount Pleasant, near tho ( cemetery,, in order to ascertain the'correctness or otherwise of the alleged nuisance caused by tho said Chinese using blood for manure. On entering the gardon, I perceived a very strong smell, resulting from tho decomposition of organic matter, which the Chincso said was duo to some fresh horse dung, but which I doubt. They further told mo that they kept no blood up there, but that there might bo some in the garden at Parawai, and thcro'l accordingly wont. In tho Parawai gardens, though there was plenty of horso manuro there, thore was absolutely no smell whaterer, thus corroborating in a great measure my provious belief that,tho smoll.in the upper gardens was very different from tlio cnuso aligned, and probably had been very much worse than at tho time of my visit. At the lower gardens I was assured that there was no blood being used, and had not been for a long time. To verify these assertions I interviewed Mr West,, of tho Parawai slaughter-yard, who informed mp that the last occasion of their applying to him for blood ho had refused to supply them again, but that up to last week thoy had been using blood obtained from his slaughteryard. Ido not consider that thero is any probability of the nuisance from that source beinq; repeated, but from remarks made by some of tho inhabitants in tho immediate neighbourhood, I am inclined to think that some of the closets in the neighbourhood furnish their quota of organic manure. While up there, Mr Walker, late of the Long Drive, pointed oiit to me the desirability of an outlet being contrived for- liotiso drainage, which tends to accumulate, near the front of his place, and requested mc to mention the matter to you. If practicable it is, of course, desirable from a sanitary point of viow. I have received a complaint in writing from Dr Cullan, drawing my attention again to a water closet in Andrew Neavo's garden, It is situato in tho very edge of, anil overlapping, tho water table, and there lmvo been many complaints about the contents of tho closot passing into tho watertablo, and many complaints about tho stench. I would respectfully suggest, that some decided action be taken in tho matter, for even though the closet is temporarily converted into an earth closet by tho introduction of a koroseno tin, it is not a suitable position, were it ever so clean. The occupiers have been instructed to remove tho closet over and over again, but with no good offect.. Next, with rcferonco to scarlet fever patients, I would earnestly impress on the Board tho importance of compelling isolation of cases. But my orders are not in all cases obeyed. Take, for instance, tho case of the boy Kcoler, attacked with scarlet fovcr oil the Gth tilt,, mildly, I grant; but, mild or not, scarlet fever, and which is capable of reproducing "tho virulent form in others. Well, this lad- has been supplied with rations and bedding at tho County's oxponse, and yet, in dofiancc of, all orders, no sooner is ho convalescent than ho goes out and mixes with others, to the great danger of the community.—l havo,&o., Martin 11. Patke.