Page image

G.—2a

1885. NEW ZEALAND.

REPORTS FROM NATIVE MEDICAL OFFICERS

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

No. 1. The Under-Secretary, Native Department, to Native Medical Officers. . (Circular No. G.) Sir,— Native Office, Wellington, 20th April, 18S5. I have the honour, by direction of the Native Minister, to ask you to be good enough to favour him with a report on the sanitary state of the Natives in your district. As the report is intended for presentation to Parliameut, it is desirable that it should be forwarded to this Office by the 20th proximo. I have, <fee., T. W. Lewis, Under-Secretary.

No. 2. Dr. Trimnell, Mongonui, to the Under-Secretary, Native Department. (No. 85/1538.) Sir,— Mongonui, 4th May, 1885. I have the honour to forward a report on the sanitary state of the Natives in the District of Mongonui. For the last two years typhoid fever has been very prevalent; many deaths having occurred. In the various villages distant from Mongonui itself they appear to have suffered more severely ; but on the whole, comparing the rate of mortality with that of previous years, I consider it less ; probably, through the care and attention of those gentlemen who have been kindly supplied by the Government with drugs for the use of the Natives. Oa the whole, however, with the exception of typhoid fever, there is less disease amongst them than formerly; and this I attribute to their more sober habits and general prosperity. I have, &c, Tuos. Jas. Trimnell, The Under-Secretary, Native Department, Wellington. Native Medical Officer.

No. 3. Mr. E. Spencer, Hokianga, to the Under Secretary, Native Department. (No. 85/1539.) Sir, — Native Dispensary, Herd's Point, Hokianga, 6th May, 1885. In accordance with the instructions contained in your Circular Letter No. G, dated the 20th April, and in pursuance of my duties as Native Medical Officer for this district, I have the honour to present my report of the sanitary or other condition of the district, and likewise of the number and class of the maladies treated during the past year. I regret to have to point out to you the fact that lately there has been an amount of sickness arising from zymotic disease, affecting that portion of my district adjoining the Bay of Islands County, near Kaikohe, and extending to Te Taheke ; the spread of the disease, typhoid fever, has to some extent depended upon the infection being carried from one portion of the district to the other through carelessness, and also upon the insanitary conditions in the locality now affected. The disease has not attacked any portion of my district wherein a Native school has been established, so that there has been no check to educational matters in that respect. I have carefully inspected all cases of sickness arising from zymotic disease that have been reported, and have notified the Resident Magistrate, and informed him as to the origin in each case, and also have reported any insanitary conditions which I considered likely to influence or promote disease among the

I— G. 2a.