H.—Bl

XIII

Dr. Finch's remarks as to the age-incidence of the disease are worthy of attention. It would seem that scarlet fever is losing its character as a disease of childhood out here ; but it has to be borne in mind that the data at our disposal here are comparatively small and that this disease visits us in apparently regular cycles. The difficulty which Dr. Finch draws attention to with respect to notification of death is very real, and has been commented upon before. The Registrar-General has helped us in many ways ; but if it were possible that every Registrar was required to notify the District Health Officer of all deaths occurring in his district within at least seven days it would not only be of great value from a statistical point of view, but would be of the very greatest service from a public-health aspect. Leprosy. There are at present five persons suffering from this disease in New Zealand, and, with the exception of one Chinaman, all are Maoris. As far as possible, they are all well cared for and isolated, but as Dr. Pomare points out, it is unfortunate that some place has not been set aside whereto all suffering from this disease could be relegated. Private Hospitals. Regulations dealing with the licensing and inspection of all hospitals and maternity homes not supported by the State have now been gazetted. As soon as the amending Act was passed ! ast session, the District Health Officers were instructed to make themselves acquainted with all such institutions in their respective districts. Already there has been an improvement : the mere fact that power had been given to deal with such places has had a salutary effect. Adulteration of Foods, etc. The new Act recently framed for the consideration of Parliament will, if placed upon the statutebook go far to prevent the sale of adulterated food-stuffs, as well as the substitution of inferior-grade materials by the makers and vendors of our foods, drugs, and drinks. A large amount of valuable data has been collected through the courtesy and help of manufacturers and others ; some of this has been embodied in the Bill referred to. Milk-supply. The supervision of this important article of food is far from satisfactory at the present time. The conditions under which the milking takes place are in a great many instances such as almost precludes that the milk can be pure and uncontaminated. As the regulation of dairies and milking-sheds is under the control of the Agricultural Department, the officers of this Department only interfere when cases of infectious disease occur at such places, or when we are convinced that a disease is being spread through the agency of milk. Previous to the passing of the Dairy Inspection Act of 1900, the larger cities had an officer whose duty it was to regularly visit and report upon all places where milk was exposed for sale. When the Act came into force, many of them dispensed with their Inspectors, and since then this important branch of public health has been carried on but fitfully. We, as far as has lain in our power, have carried on the work previously done by the local authorities, but it is most desirable that spec'al officers should be set apart for this work alone. Forming as milk does the staple article of food for the young, its purity or otherwise is o." the very greatest moment and importance to the State. Although much could be done by efficient inspection and lecturing to the dairymen, the many opportunities which milk has of being contaminated or damaged during transit and before consumption has suggested to private firms and municipalities in many parts of the world the advisability of dealing with it immediately before its distribution to the consumer. Some local authorities in the Old Country have gone so far as to set up shops where the milk is retailed out, pasteurised and humanised in bottles of a size and shape somewhat like the ordinary feeding-bottle. All that has to be done is to unloose the cap and present it to the child. By this method, even the careless or dirty nurse is prevented from depreciating the value of the little one's meal. Ido not suggest hat the time is ripe for such a bureau here, but I am convinced that, until the sale of milk in towns is placed under the control of the municipalities, the present unsatisfactory and unwholesome condition of things will obtain. Were all milk sold by or through a department of the Council, it would be possible to insist on efficient pasteurisation of every pint consumed. Pasteurisation, while it alters the taste and appearance of the milk but little, has been shown to effectually destroy those many organisms which tend to set up diarrhoea in children. If, say, every town with four thousand or over of a population had a one-portal system through which all milk had to pass, such as is the law with respect to our meat, a marked decrease in our infantile mortality and preventible disease would result. In order to carry out the scheme, there need be no interference with private rights or privileges.