71

H.-3I

Scarlet fever evidenced a steady downward trend from April, and showed no tendency to recrudescence in the winter months. No deaths from this disease were notified. The low virulence of the organism concerned is emphasized by the fact that, in a series of 860 cases notified, only two deaths were recorded. The sending of patients to hospital was again avoided where this procedure could be justified. The average duration of the stay in hospital of those 190 cases who were admitted was four weeks and two days from the date of admission. Eighty-seven cases were treated at home. In a series of eighty-five cases treated in one hospital, sixteen developed one or more complications. Amongst these were three cases of otitis media, five of nephritis, and four with an arthritis. No definite heartlesions were noted, though tachycardia occurred in one case. Pulmonary tuberculosis was responsible for thirty-six notifications and thirteen deaths. The majority of these cases are now notified in the early stages, and a fair proportion are recorded as noninfectious. Some overlapping in the supervision of certain cases has been found to be unavoidable, as the school nurses have been following up all children who are contacts of cases of the disease. At the end of the year, eighty-seven children, in forty-three families, came under this heading. At the same time there were fifty-six active cases recorded as in need of supervision by the Inspectors. The number of Maori cases notified during the year was nine, of whom four received hospital treatment, and two of the four treatment at a sanatorium in addition. Enteric fever was again conspicuous by its absence from the district, as only three isolated cases with one death were reported. Puerperal Fever. —A very satisfactory year was experienced as regards this condition, as only seven cases were reported, as against seventeen in the previous year. In addition, some of those reported suffered from only slight illnesses. No deaths were recorded. Six of the cases occurred in private hospitals, and one —a Maori—contracted the infection in her home. Septicaemia following abortion was reported in one case, which was also fatal. Eclampsia was reported in three cases, as against six in the previous year. Ante-natal care is probably partly responsible for this gratifying decrease. Influenza. —In spite of a fairly widespread epidemic of influenza from May to September —as reported by the primary schools —only thirty-two cases of pneumonic influenza were notified, of whom seven died. Pneumonia was responsible for 173 notifications, as against 163 in 1928. The deaths numbered twenty-six. This disease is not yet being notified in every case, but the figures probably form a good index to its relative frequency in the district. Erysipelas showed a drop in notifications from eighteen to six. Infectious diseases of the central nervous system were fortunately responsible for only a few isolated cases. Smallpox.—ln June three remote contacts of a case off the R.M.S. " Aorangi " were kept under supervision until the period of quarantine had expired. This proved a simple matter, and it seems that the procedure followed in this case would prove quite as satisfactory as that of keeping all contacts in one of the special quarantine stations. Terminal fumigation is infrequently demanded now, and was only carried out twenty times in 390 cases of diphtheria and scarlet fever. In twenty-five additional cases the householders themselves had either used sulphur or formalin to fumigate the patient's room prior to the Inspector's visit. There is no doubt that the public are becoming more accustomed to the discontinuance of this procedure. Water-supplies. Throughout the year all the urban water-supplies were subjected to at least one chemical analysis in addition to an estimation of the Bacillus coli content. In addition, a number of local supplies or suggested supplies for motor camps, &c., were examined and reported upon. The chemical analysis of the urban water-supplies gave uniformly satisfactory results. The results of the bacteriological examinations were of a more dubious nature. In this respect the Waitara supply showed some improvement over the previous two years. Other supplies showed little change. Kaponga and Hawera gave the best bacteriological findings. Various tests made at Opunake indicated that the Waiaua River would furnish a good potable supply if the Town Board decided to put forward to their ratepayers this very necessary improvement. Several tests of well and spring waters in Opunake indicated almost invariably waters of a low standard of purity. The drawing of water from certain wells in this area had to be curtailed, while the use of that from some other sources was only permitted under certain safeguarding conditions. A considerable amount of work has been done in New Plymouth on the improved reticulation of the water-supply agreed to in 1928. In addition, work on the Mangamahoe dam is being rapidly carried forward and all fear of a water-shortage in the town will soon be a thing of the past. Sanitation. During the year work on the new drainage scheme in New Plymouth was commenced in earnest. This very comprehensive scheme should meet the needs of the expanding town for many years to come. At the same time, any lessor project would have been liable to frequent expensive additions. The. present state of sanitation in the borough is such as to completely justify the extension of the sewerage system to all the suburbs. In addition, all streams passing through the borough will no longer be subjected to the considerable pollution which exists at the present time. The Henui bathing-pool, now in a very insanitary state, will not be the least to benefit by this scheme.