107

H.—3l

There were 95 cases in 94 houses, as compared with 59 cases in 53 houses in 1906. There was a considerable increase in the number of cases in Christchurch and district, which was responsible for 47 cases. Measles. The epidemic, which began in the summer of last year, continued to spread in Christchurch and in various other part's of the district, but before the summer came it had died out in most places. Epidemics in Schools. Thirty-five applications were received for the certificate of the District Health Officer under the Regulations gazetted on the 29th November, 1906, under ''The Education Act, 1904," which provides that on the District Health Officer certifying that 10 per cent, of children were affected by an infectious disease, the average attendance of another period may be substituted for that of the quarters affected. Of these applications, 33 were granted and 2 were for certain reasons refused. Owing to the wording of the regulation being somewhat vague, it was difficult to give it any exact interpretation. Corroborative evidence in support of the applications was generally available, and, as in most cases it was the first year that applications for certificates had been made, a liberal interpretation was allowable. Mortality. The following notifications of deaths were received at this office : Enteric fever, 5 (4 in Christchurch) ; diphtheria, 4 (all in Christchurch); scarlet fever, 2 (none in Christchurch); measles, 3 (all in Christchurch). It is somewhat remarkable that there were only three deaths from measles, as, considering how widespread the epidemic was and the high mortality that generally occurs, a higher number of deaths might have been expected. There was, however, a slight increase in the number of deaths from bronchitis and pneumonia in children under five years, which possibly may have been due to measles. If the notifications received at this office from the Registrars is a correct indication of the number of deaths in the district, the mortality from this disease is certainly low. Judging, however, from the returns received from Registrars in respect to deaths from tuberculosis, it would appear that only a few of the Registrars send in notifications of deaths to this office. Dangerous Infectious Diseases. Plague. In April a suspicious case occurred on H.M.S. " Powerful "on her arrival at Lyttelton. The patient, who was in charge of the canteen, had left S}"dney, where he had been living for about three weeks, about eight days before. As he might have been exposed to infection in Sydney, and the symptoms were distinctly suspicious, the ship was put in quarantine. After a couple of days had elapsed it was practically certain the case was not one of plague, so the quarantine regulations were removed, and the patient was sent to Quail Island. In September a doctor in Timaru notified me that he was attending a case which he had reason to suspect might be a case of plague. The patient was a male adult, but there was nothing in his occupation or his recent movements which would have rendered him liable to infection. The symptoms were, however, very suspicious, and at the request of this Department, the Mayor of Timaru, acting for the South Canterbury Hospital Board, made prompt arrangements for the erection of tents for the patient and a nurse on a reserve close to Timaru Hospital. After a few days all suspicious symptoms disappeared, and there was no necessity to continue the precautions which had been adopted of isolating the patient and the occupiers of the house where he had been living. Leprosy. In November a second case of leprosy was sent to Quail Island. The patient was a Maori, a male adult from the North Island. A separate small building was erected for his accommodation at the cost of about £100, on a very suitable site adjoining the building in which the other leper had been accommodated. Both patients appear to be as well contented with their surroundings as can be expected. Infectious-disease Hospitals. Bottle Lake Hospital. Of the 57 cases of scarlet fever in Christchurch and district, 33 were treated at Bottle Lake. Three cases of measles and 2 of diphtheria were also treated there. Ashburton. The following cases were treated in the infectious-disease annexe: Measles, 5 ; diphtheria, 3 ; scarlet fever, 1 ; enteric fever, 8; phthisis, 2. Timaru. Twenty cases of scarlet fever and 2 of measles were treated at the Talbot Hospital during the year. Oamaru. Three cases of enteric fever and 1 case of measles were treated at the infectious-disease annexe. Tuberculosis. Eighty-three notifications of tuberculosis were received during the year, against 120 last year. Notices of 105 deaths were received from the Registrars, against 89 last year. For the year ending