5

A.—4.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. Administration. During the greater part of the year this Department consisted of two separate divisions : — (a.) Clinical, medicine, and hospitals, under the control of the Chief Medical Officer; (/;.) Public hygiene, under the control of the Medical Officer of Health. In February, on the departure of the Chief Medical Officer, the two divisions were amalgamated, the Medical Officer of Health becoming Chief Medical Officer. In May, 1922, an Inspector of Health was appointed. The duties of this officer have been somewhat varied. In addition to his ordinary duties he has supervised the Apia water-supply, and prepared plans and specifications for, and supervised the work of installation of, a number of household drainage schemes. During the year the Board of Health made the following regulations : — No. 4: Regulations as to rubbish and refuse containers. No. 5 : Regulations as to the prevention of the breeding of mosquitoes. No. 6 : Regulations in respect of buildings, drainage, and the structure and cleansing of privies. In January, 1923, dysentery (bacillary and amoebic) was added to the list of notifiable infections diseases. Quarantine. During the year KM visits of inspection were paid to vessels arriving tit Apia, from overseas, including two which stopped at the entrance to disembark passengers. In no case was it found necessary to withhold pratique. As Sydney was not declared a clean port (as regards plague) untill the Ist March, 1923, precautionary measures against the introduction of this disease into Western Samoa were continued throughout the year. The restrictions imposed have now been removed. Western Samoa is kept in constant touch with the outside world in the matter of infectious diseases by means of weekly wireless messages from New Zealand, givitt" existing conditions, in so far as they are known, in New Zealand, Australia, and the various island groups of the South Pacific. In these weekly messages is also included any information of immediate value to Samoa contained in the fortnightly health abstracts cabled from London. The abstracts are also forwarded every month by mail-steamer. This up-to-date knowledge of conditions existing in those countries with which Samoa is in communication is an added safeguard against the introduction of epidemic diseases. The new quarantine site at Mulinu'u has been definitely decided upon, and preparations for the erection of the necessary buildings are now in progress. The following table shows the particulars of inspection of vessels for the year under review :—

Food and DRtKts. The activities of the Department under the Sale of Food and Drugs Act have been for the most part confined to inspection of canned meats. During the year considerable trouble was caused by the importation of canned meats which became badly blown within a, week or two of landing. As the result of action by this Department and the Apia Chamber of Commerce the position has improved. This improvement is not shown in the quarterly returns of meats condemned, but this is due to some meats imported in the quarter October-December being condemned in the following quarter, and also to the condemnation of other brands of meats than those originally at fault. During the year, 32J sacks of rice were seized. The seizure was confirmed by the Court. Particulars are given in the, next table :- -

Port Health Inspections. Quarter. Vessels inspected. Pratic Passengers. ique ' Crew. granted. European. Native. 922 April-June .. July September ((otober December 923—January-March 27 30 26 21 I 27 Returns no 30 26 I (i. r ) 2] 114 t available 189 152 573 470 Totals .. 104 104 279 341 1,043

Quarter. Meats condemned. Rioe seized. 922—April-June July-September October-December . . 923 —January-March lb. 2531 900 3,330 2,9091 Sacks. 32i Totals 7,393 32i