H.—3l.

Table C.—Table showing the Progression of the Percentage of Cases for each Day of the Epidemic in the Two Groups, New Boys and Old Boys, and Vaccine-treated and Non-vaccine-treated.

It is evident from the above table that the total incidence of cases was reached much more rapidly in the case of new boys than of old boys. By the fifteenth day of the epidemic the epidemic was finished amongst the new boys, whereas amongst the old boys 88 per cent, only of the cases had occurred by that date. This demonstrates that the old boys succumbed much more slowly than the new boys, and indicates that the resistance of the old boys was greater. Similarly the incidence amongst the vaccine-treated boys was, up to the seventeenth day of the epidemic, somewhat still more gradual; but the difference is not sufficiently marked as to warrant any deductions to be drawn therefrom. It perhaps should be mentioned that amongst the fifteen old boys in the school who had not had vaccine there were eight cases of influenza, and that these occurred in the first twelve days of the epidemic, so that they succumbed early in the outbreak.

PART 6. —REPORT ON THE HEALTH CONDITIONS AND ENVIRONMENT OF RURAL SCHOOL-CHILDREN IN CERTAIN DISTRICTS OF NEW ZEALAND. By Dr. Albert Henderson, School Medical Officer. [The main observations alone are recorded.] An attempt was made to elucidate the standard of health attained and the environmental conditions. Groups of schools were selected representing children of coal-miners, bush timber-mill workers, dairy-farmers in thriving communities and in remote country areas. Children attending twenty-five schools in New Zealand were examined and the homes of 476 children were visited. Reports and detailed statistics of each group were obtained, and also a comparison of the groups. The number examined in some of the groups was small, but the findings are sufficiently exact to give a fair view of conditions. An effort was made to assess the financial status in the homes visited. This classification is obviously a rough one. In the case of coal-miners and bush timber-mill workers wages and number of days worked were taken into account, and in the farming groups the number of cows milked, &c. ; otherwise judgment was formed on appearances and on statements volunteered by the parents. Group A. —Children op Coal-miners. Two coal-mining towns were selected as suitable for this investigation. One was situated about 500 ft. above sea-level in hilly country, and the other on a river-bank 45 ft. above sea-level. In the former the lie of the ground afforded good drainage and, though in a valley, was not too closely surrounded by the hills to prevent an adequate amount of sunlight. There was a considerable amount of level space, too, for play areas. A proportion of the homes in the second town selected were subject to dampness from the flooding of the river. The homes of 105 children were visited in these towns.

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1 I 1 Day of T , „ Minus Plus ; Day of AT _ -r, ,,, , 7 , Minus Plus Epidemic. ew °^ s ' 0^ s ' Vaccine. Vaccine. Epidemic. 0W °^ 8 ' °^ s- j Vaccine. Vaccine. 1 .. 2 .. 1 16 .. 82 .. 81 2 .. 3 .. 3 17 97 88 98 88 3 .. .. .. .. 18 100 .. 100 4 .. .. .. .. 19 5 .. .. .. .. 20 .. 90 .. 90 6 3 5 3 7 21 7 12 13 12 13 22 .. 94 .. 95 8 29 26 33 20 23 .. 95 .. 97 9 41 32 43 30 24 .. 97 .. 98 10 62 44 59 33 25 11 68 50 67 49 26 12 82 59 74 50 27 13 91 64 88 65 28 .. 98 .. 99 14 .. 75 93 74 29 .. 100 .. 100 15 .. 77 .. 76