H.—l2

8

of a most violent tyre, and resulting in disease of the leg, requiring many operations for the removal of diseased bone, upwards of twenty-eight pieces having been extracted by myself. The wounds are now almost closed, the boy able to walk about, and resume light duty. Another, William Miller, had a severe injury to the ankle-joint before admission into the school, and, from a sprain, violent inflammation supervened, and this case also required many operations, and gave enormous trouble for many months not only to myself but to the school authorities. He is now quite recovered. I have inspected every boy in the school weekly, examined every one on admission, made eighty visits during the year, and attended 569 cases, exclusive of a large number of boys suffering from scabies (itch and Maori pock), which have given considerable trouble for the last six months to all concerned, and I have only this week been enabled to give a clean bill of health to the establishment as regards these diseases. The accommodation for the sick is inefficient, and the supply of hospital requisites of a most meagre character, and it reflects considerable credit on all concerned that so much has been done with so few appliances. I have made three night journeys during the year; these I made in an open boat. The cases requiring such attendance were of an urgent type, such as inflammation of the windpipe and strangulated hernia. These journeys took several hours to accomplish, and gave the manager and boys in the boat hard work. In consequence of the breaking down of the Government steam launch, I have been compelled to go by land for several months. The road is bad and rough, and at times, especially during winter months, frequently dangerous. I have necessarily been compelled to hire a strong carriage to enable me to make my weekly journeys, and last Saturday I had great difficulty in paying my visit under any circumstances, the road being so rough and cut up in consequence of continual bad weather. I have again to thank Captain Breton, the Manager, for the assistance given to me, the great promptitude shown in cases of emergency, and his unwearied attention to the surgical ones requiring more than ordinary care. He has personally taken me to and brought me back from the school in the night, and when possible brought cases of accident up to town to visit me, thus preventing the double journey and extra fatigue to myself and the boys forming the boat's crew. I would suggest that a small supply of hospital appliances and necessaries be granted to this institution, rendering treatment more easy, and conducing to the comfort of the patients under medical supervision; also, that some provision be made for isolating cases of itch, Maori pock, &c., thus rendering the spread of disease more difficult, and enabling medical treatment to be carried out more satisfactorily in future. I append a list of the most serious cases attended during the year (no death has occurred during the year) : —Smith, consumption; Bentley, epilepsy ; Shield, T., strangulated hernia, reduced without operation, and a truss fitted; special journey from 10 p.m., 10th December, to 1 a.m., 11th December, 1877. Good, W., and Edmunds, A., jaundice; Jesse, W., incised w round opening into elbow-joint. Keen, M. H., acute rheumatism.; special journey at night. Wm. Miller, old injury to ankle, causing abscess of joint, &c, requiring many operations ; Bateman, W., acute laryngitis ; two attacks, requiring night visits from 10.30 p.m., on 9th July, to 1 a.m. 10th July, 1877. Wilton, E., disease of bones of leg; this case was upwards of nine months in hospital, and underwent many operations, both under chloroform and without. I have, &c., Charles F. Goldsbro', M.D., M.R.C.P., M.R.C.S., The Officer in Charge, Marine Department. Medical Officer. Average number of boys in the school during the year commencing Ist July, 1877, and ending 30th June, 1878 : seventy-one and two-twelfths :— 1877. 1878. July .. ..77 January .. 68 August .. 78 February .. 64 September .. .. 78 March .. .. 65 October .. .. 74 April .. .. 69 November .. . . 75 • May .. .. 68 December .. 71 June .. 67

Enclosure 4. Commander R. A. Edwin to the Hon. the Commissioner of Customs. Wellington, Gth August, 1878. I beg to submit for your consideration the fourth yearly report upon the experimental system of storm warning, and in doing so am desirous of drawing your attention to return No. 1, showing the value of the storm warnings received at individual stations during a period of nine months. I had hoped to be able to afford this information for the whole year, but unfortunately an illness caused a suspension of the work for some time, and I have therefore only included in this year's returns the period during which lam confident the duties were fully resumed. No returns have