33

H.—3l

mendation that I ineffectually made to the Napier Borough Council has been adopted in Gisborne— viz., of collecting the excreta of typhoid patients nightly, cremating the excreta, and disinfecting the pan —and this practice has been followed by a diminution in the number of cases. When Health Commissioner in 1900, I strongly impressed upon the Borough Council the necessity of collecting the nightsoil in double-lidded pans, and reiterated my views on taking up the duties of my present appointment. lam glad to say that my recommendations have met with approval, and Gisborne has adopted this method of collecting nightsoil. A few premises are supplied with pipe drains to carry house-slops into the river, but at present there is no public water-supply or drainage scheme in operation. Three years ago, on my recommendation, Mr. Mestayer was consulted on these matters, and that gentleman gave estimates and plans for a water-supply and drainage scheme. A loan for the former has been authorised, but the money is not yet available; and the consequence is that the much-needed water and drainage are in abeyance for the present. Though the death-rate from all causes in Gisborne is comparatively low—l 4-24 per 1,000 — the proportion of deaths from typhoid and other zymotic diseases is the highest in the district. From these facts I am confirmed in the opinion that I have previously expressed; that, given a supply of pure water and an efficient drainage scheme, Gisborne would be one of the healthiest towns in the colony. Kaiti (Population, 700) and Whataupoko (Population, 1,148) are suburbs of Gisborne. They are scattered and open, the houses are new and well built. Nightsoil is removed by private contract, and there is no public water-supply. The local bodies are the Kaiti and Whataupoko Road Boards. Tolago, Tokomaru, and Waipiro are scattered townships up the east coast, the two former being chiefly Maori settlements. They have no common system of sanitation nor public water-supply. Some of the settlers in this district have interested themselves about septic tanks, and have obtained plans from me, and one has already had a tank installed on his premises. It is encouraging to those engaged in preventive medicine to find settlers away in the back country taking an intelligent interest in sanitary matters. About four miles to the south of Waipiro, at a place called Te Puia, there are some hot springs, belonging to the class of chlorinated waters, some of which contain iodine. There are upwards of a hundred different springs, but differing very slightly in composition. Most of them issue from the ground at too high a temperature —160° Fahr.—for use till they have been cooled down. These springs are most fortunately situated. They are 800 ft. above sea-level, open to the east and north and partly to the west, but protected by high hills from the cold south. The air at that elevation is pleasant, bracing, and invigorating. The aspect has the benefit of the sun from sunrise till late in the afternoon. The beauty of the scenery—the hills around, the lake, and Waipiro Bay—leaves nothing to be desired. Pulmonary tuberculosis should do well in such a spot. The waters are suitable for the treatment of gout, rheumatism, and some forms of skin-affections. The Waiapu County Council has made excellent roads in the vicinity, and it only needs the expenditure of a little capital to make Te Puia one of the pleasantest as well as one of the most health-giving sanatoria in the colony. Clyde, Wairoa (Population, 623). The local body is the Wairoa Town Board. I have not been able to visit Wairoa since I took over the duties of District Health Officer, but hope to be able to do so shortly. lam compelled, therefore, to speak of Clyde as it was, and perhaps may not give it credit for the reforms that I hope it has made. The houses are rather crowded together, and many of them are old, in bad repair, and insanitary. There is no public water-supply, and the water is obtained from tanks and shallow, improperly constructed wells. Until lately there has been no common system for the removal of nightsoil, and the filth was buried in the small sections, often close to the shallow wells, that were too often unprotected even by brickwork, and were never steined nor set in cement. When Health Commissioner, in 1900, I impressed upon the Town Board the necessity of instituting a common system of nightsoil removal and carrying it out with double-lidded pans. During his term of office Dr. Finch reiterated these views, and was successful in getting them adopted. Clyde is the first town in my district to adopt the least objectionable and most sanitary method of the conservancy system. Pigs are kept in the town, and too frequently the sties are badly constructed, not overclean, and frequently are situated too close to the dwellings. When I visit Wairoa lam confident that I shall be able to make some much-needed reforms. Mohaka is a small township, pleasantly situated. The houses are scattered and well built. There is no public water-supply nor common system of sanitation. When calculating the vital statistics of Napier, I did so on the population of Napier only. I find that the deaths at Clive and Taradale are registered in Napier. It is therefore more correct to calculate them on the basis of the populations of the three places. The corrected statistics are —Deaths from all causes, 15-008 per 1,000, as against 175 per 1,000; from typhoid, 0-196, as against 0-23, per 1,000; from other zymotic diseases, 0-098, as against 0-116, per 1,000; from septicaemia and erysipelas, 0-49, as against 0-57, per 1,000 ; from tuberculosis, 0-9, as against 1-025, per 1,000; from cancer, 0-784, as against 0-92, per 1,000. 5—H. 31.