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CANCER. Auckland City and suburban boroughs . . .. .. .. 82 For the last five years,— 1908 .. .. .. .. . . .. 52 1909 58 1910 .......... 44 1911 51 1912 67 C. CLIMATE AND METEOROLOGY. This year it has been decided not to insert an extract from the article on the above subject by the Rev. D. C. Bates, Dominion Meteorologist. For information under this heading should be consulted ■Section II of the "New Zealand Official Year-book," 1914. D. GENERAL REPORTS OF THE DISTRICT HEALTH OFFICERS FOR THE YEAI! L 913. Auckland Health District.—Report by run District Health Officer (Dh. Makgill). I have the honour to present the thirteenth annual report on the Auckland Health District. The outbreak of smallpox during the latter half of the year was so widespread that all other sanitary questions had to take second place; but even apart from this the work of the year was uncommonly heavy, typhoid fever being exceptionally prevalent, while the gazetting of the regulations under the Sale of Food and Drugs Act made in itself a formidable increase in the duties the staff had to perform. In April possession was taken of the new offices in the Public Trust Building, which have proved in most respects a great improvement on the insanitary and primitive building which had been the home of the Auckland Office for the previous twelve years. Some inconvenience, however, results from the distance the new building is from the centre of the city and other Government Departments. As before, a very large .share of our attention was occupied in Native work and the efforts to establish nursing centres in various districts. The formation of two now Inspectors' districts —South Waikato and Marsden-Kaipara—and the consequent rearrangement of subsidies and so forth necessitated a great deal of correspondence. Much time was taken up over the inquiry into the administration of the St. Helens Hospital. Attention was given to the inspection of possible sites for a new location for this institution, and in all thirteen places were inspected and reports furnished. Five visits were made to Wellington, chiefly in connection with the Food and Drugs Regulations. During the latter half of the year I was absent on leave for five months, and my place was temporarily filled by Dr. H. G. H. Monk. Later, on account of the smallpox epidemic, Dr. H. K. Finch, District Health Officer, Christchurch, was also stationed at Auckland. During my leave the following departmental matters engaged my attention: — At Sydney I inspected the smallpox patients in the isolation hospital, and reported to you on the identity of the disease there with the type in New Zealand, and gave some account of the methods adoptee! in dealing with the disease. In Melbourne I met Dr. Cumpston, Director of Quarantine, and discussed the methods to be adopted between the Australian and New Zealand authorities for dealing with vaccination and inspection of the passenger traffic. The proposals then made you afterwards approved and adopted. I also met the officers at Sydney and Melbourne who were interested in the administration of the Food and Drugs Regulations. A report of my observations was submitted to you. I also visited the calf-lymph establishment at Melbourne. I gladly take this opportunity for recording my thanks for the kindly consideration and help I received from Dr. Cumpston, Dr. Paton, and indeed all the Public Service officers in Australia with whom I came in contact. On arriving in Europe I attended the International Society Congress at Antwerp as representative of New Zealand. Reports on the work done there have been furnished. I visited Hamburg and Berlin in connection with questions affecting certain food products exported to New Zealand. In England I visited Dr. Newsholme, President of the Local Government Board, who most courteously gave me an opportunity to visit the vaccine-lymph laboratory at Hendon. A report on the work I saw there has been furnished, containing, I believe, some valuable information as to the latest methods of treating the lymph. Proceeding to Ireland, I was kindly afforded by Mr. Dickenson an opportunity for studying the Fertilizers Limited methods for treating sewage at the Dublin sewer outfall and at a butterfactory at Tipperary, a report on which has been furnished. On my return by way of America I received from Dr. Maclaurin, President of the Technical Institute in Boston, much help in collecting information as to the prevalence of smallpox of the type characterizing the recent epidemic in this country. Professor Adami, of McGill College, in Montreal, was also most kind in giving me some account of their experience with the same disease. On the whole, I believe that my holiday was not without benefit also to the Department. Attached hereto are appendices dealing with infectious diseases. Native sanitation, hospital work, sanitary inspection, and the enforcement of the Food and Drugs Act. R. H. Makgill, M.D., D.P.H. (Camb.).