15

H.—22

Pure water, employed in different ways, becomes a source not only of health, but of keeping a healthy person from becoming diseased. I would strongly recommend your Council to attend to this matter in the best way consistent with their means. The cess-pools (or water-closets) are not arranged in the best way. When water cannot be brought to bear, by far the best system is dry earth-closets, which are easily attended to and free from the obnoxious effluvium that often pertains in connection with these places. All stagnant pools of water should be removed wherever seen. All water channels meandering through long grasses, preventing the free running of streams, should be made to run as evenly as possible, in order that no power of propagating disease should be left in its nooks and corners. The building system in this township should be arranged that no person should leave an open space underneath his house in order to allow water to lodge there, and thereby communicate the germs of deadly disease. The extension and purity of your water system, and, more than that, the improvement of your system of drainage, is what will tend most to preserve your township in a salubrious state, and prevent what according to the ordinary laws of hygiene should have taken place some time ago—viz., an epidemic of some characteristic description. I would further strongly advise that no pigs or cattle (great or small) shall be reared or killed within the more settled portions of the township. Of course, you will see the reason for this is obvious. I have, &c, The Mayor and Town Council, Lawrence. Alexander Stewart, M.D. The Town Clerk, Arrowtown, to His Honor the Superintendent, Dunedin. Sin, — Arrowtown, 14th December, 1874. In compliance with your request by circular of the Central Board of Health, calling attention of the Local Board to section 15 of " The Public Health Act, 1872," this Council have the honor to report that at present the township of Arrowtown is in a healthy condition, there being no endemic or epidemic diseases: the general health of the residents may therefore be reported as good. The sanitary condition of the municipality is, from the situation of the township, not all that could be desired, but the Council are using their best endeavours in improving it, and hope shortly to make a more satisfactory statement in this respect. The comparatively short period during which the Municipal body has been in existence has not allowed them to do much in this direction, and also the bylaws not having yet been brought into operation ; but they are fully alive to the necessity of looking keenly after the hygiene of the town generally ; and imperfect supply of water is another difficulty under which we labour. Arrangements are now in progress with a mining company towards this, and the Council hope that, should they require the assistance of the Provincial Council next session, they will have it. I have, &c, Albert Evans, J. Macandrew, Esq., Superintendent. Town Clerk. The Chairman, Local Board of Health, Naseby, to the Chairman, Central Board of Health, Dunedin. Sir, — Council Chambers, Naseby, oth November, 1874. In answer to your communication of the 28th ultimo, I have the honor to report that the present sanitary state of the town of Naseby is satisfactory; that no contagious diseases are or ever have been prevalent; that considerable improvement in drainage has been effected. It may be said as much has been done in one year as the funds of so young a municipality could well bear. It is, however, intended as soon as possible to perfect the drainage throughout the borough. The Local Board would be glad to be informed whether section 28 of the Public Health Act, or any other Act, gives power to any such Board to authorize the discharge of surface drains into main or other outlets granted for mining purposes, as some impediment is feared, from a desire on the part of some of the miners to levy a toll for the sake of asserting a priority of right. I have, &c, L. W. Busch, Chairman of the Local Board of Health, Naseby. The Chairman, Central Board of Health, Dunedin. His Worship the Mayor, Clyde, to the Chairman, Central Board of Health, Dunedin. Sir,— Clyde, 4th December, 1874. According to your request, asking me to send you a report as to the sanitary state of the town of Clyde, and for your information, I am happy to state that at present it is clean and healthy. The Clyde Council have a scavenger to clean the streets and attend to the water that flows on both sides of the main street; he also attends to watercourses in the back streets. Independent of him, every few weeks the Council engage a man with a horse and cart to go round the town and collect any rubbish that may have collected; but there is not much rubbish deposited now about the town. After the epidemic broke out at Cromwell I got the town properly cleaned, and those places where rubbish had been deposited I caused notice-boards to be erected prohibiting the inhabitants putting any more there, and it had the desired effect. I can safely state that every precaution has been taken with regard to health. For your information, I herewith enclose report from the Inspector of Nuisances; likewise a report from our local doctor, A. T. Thomson.