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This inspection reveals that of the premises in die Dunedin suburbs 2194 were defective in some sanitary particular; in the three country towns the ratio was 2434 per cent.- —over 2 per cent, higher; but in the boroughs examined in [Southland the ratio of delects was very much higher, being 807 per cent. This difference in East luvercargill may be accounted for in some degree by the absence of any system of drainage in that borough; in Iliverton it has arisen perhaps from the fact that it is an old whaling town which is not advancing. It is true that many —perhaps most —of these defects were minor ones, such as dirty yards, deficient drainage, untrapped or improperly placed gully-traps, and such like; but among those specially calling for nouce were those where, for instance, the overflow-pipe of the rainwater-tank serving the household for all purposes was led directly into a drain—a very frequent and dangerous defect; or where the closets were out of order, ruinous, with no pan, and the fasces falling into a hole in the ground; or, what was frequently encountered, where the pail closet was built into a shed used also as a wash-house with no, or an open-seamed, partition intervening—an extremely dangerous condition of affairs. Another defect to which attention was directed was that many of the houses were built close to the ground without under-floor ventilation, the possibly polluted and generally damp air being drawn into houses, making them more or less unhealthy to the inmates. Disinfection of Premises. This matter has received a good deal of attention during the year, in person, by a member of my staff, or by some one appointed by the local authorities, and instructed by one or other of my Inspectors. In the Southland Sub-district I had an opportunity of seeing how well the scheme worked out by what Inspector Cameron was doing. He got, some time ago, the local authorities of Invercargill and the towns in Southland to unite in securing the services of a man who devotes his time to the disinfection of infected premises for a fixed rate of pay per case. This man was instructed at first by inspector Cameron, and carries out the work thoroughly well, and the local authorities are satisfied with the arrangement. In Dunedin, Inspector (for the City) Donaldson ably carries out this work; but the suburbs have to be occasionally reminded to keep them up to the work, as they have not yet been persuaded u> employ a special man for the purpose. In most of the country localities the towns and counties have united in employing a man for disinfection, but some of them are still hanging back and not doing this work so well as 1 should like; but I am continuing to press for an improvement. Inspector Caineroli reports that in his sub-district 105 households have received attention; and Inspector Gladstone furnishes a list of 109. Besides these, many more have been disinfected by the various local Inspectors, who have been instructed by some one of my staff. The means we employ generally is to spray the rooms, &c, thoroughly with a hot solution of formalin, followed by a good washing of floors, paint, Aβ., with hot water in which some washmgsoda has been dissolved. The wall-papers are then, if necessary, pulied off along with the scrim, and the paint brushed over with turpentine, and the roof whitewashed. It has been suggested by Inspector Gladstone that all public buildings, such as halls, theatres, churches &c, but especially post-offices and schools, should be required to be, say, two or three times a year thoroughly cleaned out and sprayed with formalin. Perhaps a requisition to have schools and post-offices thus attended to, as being under public jurisdiction, might he usefully made. Infectious Diseases. ,V otification of Infectious Diseases. The medical men in my district are now prompt and careful in this duty, except in tuberculosis cases, many of which go unnotified, and it is only when the person has died that we hear of the case in too meriy instances. The appended table shows these sufficiently, and speaks for itself, the numbers being: — „, . . . ... 180 Scarlet fever ■•• ■•■ ••• „„ Enteric fever ... ••• ••• ••• ••• Diphtheria ■■• ■■• ■•■ •■• ■•• gg Tuberculosis Scarlet Fever, which has been present throughout my district for the last few years, appears to be slowly exhausting itself. In Dunedin and the counties surrounding it, cases, which were fair y Numerous in the early months of the year, especially in Bruce County have practically dropped to almost nil- although Vincent County shows an increase, most marked in the last four months of £tfkEd In the Southland County, and in Wallace County adjoining it, the fever keeps mi in an annovine way, with only slight signs of decrease. P EllrTlvS haf been little in evidence, only a few (10) slight cases, several of which were imported from other districts, having occurred in Dunedin and the surrounding counties. The re fot my d trict has furnished only 5 cases, with the exception of the Tuapeka County, where there wafa slight (doubtful) outbreak among the men employed at one ot the construction camps °" bulked very small in my returns, and the cases were mild as a rule, some being ■Wβ had 31 returns; or, with the surrounding district, 47 cases Wefe few cases notified were either erysipelas or were the result of neglected