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Possible sites for the Auckland abattoirs, the nightsoil-depot, and the Infectious Diseases Hospital have occupied considerable attention. I append Inspector Winstanley's report on the work done by him during the year. Inspector Winstanley's Report (Summary). Houses visited in connection with infectious diseases, 370. Residences inspected, 6,171. Notices served, 113 ; with the result that the matters complained of have been remedied in 110 cases. Number of infectious diseases traced from April, 1902, to March, 1903, shown in report: Enteric, 130; scarlet fever, 79 ; diphtheria, 60. Number of complaints lodged by letter and otherwise, from April, 1902, to March, 1903, 100; all of which received attention. Special Matters. Districts visited. — Re infectious diseases outbreaks : Whangarei, Kamo, Te Aroha, Kawakawa, Wairangi, Helensville, Hamilton, Waihi, Tauranga, Thames. Re general sanitation : Cambridge, Whangarei, Kamo, Te Aroha, Opotiki, Tauranga, Thames, Ngaruawahia, Te Awamutu, Helensville, Dargaville, Waihi, Rotorua, Huntly, Karangahake, Pukekohe, Taupo, and Lake Districts. Trades inspected. —Jam-factories, biscuit-factories, sausage-making factories, Auckland markets re fowls, &c, and general produce ; restaurants, fish-shops, bakeries, &c. Dairies inspected. —At Devonport, Rotorua, Te Aroha, Paeroa, Thames, Pukekohe, Wairangi, Tauranga, and Opotiki. Slaughterhouses inspected. —At Auckland, Thames, Huntly, and Paeroa. Hotels in Town arid District inspected. —At Auckland and Suburbs, Thames, Te Aroha, W\ ; hL Karangahake, Kamo, Helensville, and Lake District. Foods condemned or Samples taken for Analysis. —Consignments of fish in kegs from Australia —condemned ; consignment of flour from America—samples taken ; samples of flour obtained from different bakers in Auckland and suburbs. Re House-drains, i&c. —The absence of regulations requiring contractors, &c, to give notice to the Department and the local authority of their intention to carry out drainage-work, &c, and to furnish the District Health Officer and Engineer with plans of same showing the proposed works before proceeding to execute, and also to give due notice after such works are completed so that they may be inspected, leads to defects which are perhaps the most serious menace to the health of the community brought under my notice. Pathological Laboratory. Pathological work—more especially bacteriological research—requires regular and constant attention. Therefore this branch of my duties has not yet been properly developed. At special times, such as during the presence of the plague, a spasmodic effort had to be made to get things into order, prepare media, and so forth ; but in general little work is done. The apparatus to hand is very incomplete, but unless more time could be devoted to the subject it is scarcely worth while obtaining a proper equipment. The following is a summary of the work done :—■ Post-mortems made (chiefly on suspected plague cases), 5. Organs examined bacteriologically: Spleens, 6; livers, intestines, &c, 3; bubonic swellings, 2; glands, 4. The following specimens submitted to me have been examined : Pus, 14 samples; blood, 14 samples, 13 being for the Widal test; sputums for tubercle 29, for other conditions 2 (tubercle was found in 16 specimens) ; throat swabs for diphtheria, 5 (in 2 the bacillus was found ; urines, 28 ; vomit, 1; faeces, 1; tumours, sections cut, 4; ligatures and dressings were bacteriologically examined for Auckland Hospital. Post-mortems on Animals.— Guinea-pigs, 4 ; rats, 4 ; diseased fowls, 1. Bacteriological tests were made of—the city water-supply; public milk-supplies, 1; sceptictank effluents, 2. Vaccine distributed. —734 tubes of lymph were supplied to medical practitioners and public vaccinators in the district. Pamphlets on vaccination were sent to local bodies, public vaccinators, School Committees, and others. Physical Examinations for Government Officials and Employees. Eigty-one examinations re sick-pay were made on returned troopers. This work was very burdensome, and it was a great relief when other arrangements were made. For the various Departments 37 persons were examined, distributed as follows : Health— Applicants for sanatorium treatment 17, for staff 6; Education, 3 ; Marine, 3; Public Works, 2 ; Postal, 2 ; Agricultural, 3 ; Defence, 1. In conclusion, I wish to record the great assistance given by Mr. Symons, of this office, in drawing up the charts and tables, and compiling the statistics for this report. R. H. Makgill, M.D., D.P.H.