111

H.—3l

The following is a summary of yvork done during the year: — Infectious diseases investigated .. 75 Fish-preserving works inspected .. .. 1 Ptomaine-poisoning outbreak investigated .. 1 Confectionery-works inspected .. .. 1 Dwellings disinfected .. .. .. 29 Offensive trades inspections .. 12 Schools disinfected .. .. .. 1 Stables inspected .. .. .. 46 Parcels disinfected for Postal Department .. 35 Poultry-farms inspected .. .. .. 2 Dwellings and premises inspected .. 16 Rubbish-depots inspected .. .. 1 Butchers' shops inspected .. .. 24 Drainage and plumbing inspections .. 152 Milk-shops inspected .. .. .. 20 Complaints investigated .. .. .. 39 Dining-rooms inspected .. .. .. 9 Requisitions served .. .. .. 3 Fruit-auction-room inspections .. .. 4 Requisitions complied with .. .. 2 Cordial and aerated-water factories inspected 14 Sewage-samples taken .. .. .. 7 Jam, pickle, and sauce factories inspected .. 7 Water-samples taken .. .. .. 4 Mark Kershaw, Sanitary Inspector. Dr. Finch, D.H.O. Department of Public Health, Conterbury District. I beg to report as follows on work done during the year ending 31st March, 1908 : — The usual country inspections have been made, and information gathered re the removal of rubbish and nightsoil, and disposal of same, also cost in each case. A set of Sanitation By-laws was prepared and sent to the newly formed Cheviot Town Board, and also to the Mount Hutt Road Board. A number of infantile-diarrhoea cases have been inquired into re feeding, &c, and the premises inspected. A number of milk-shops were also inspected under the Sale of Food and Drugs Act. The usual complaints have been investigated, and action taken where necessary. The following is a summary of work done during the year : —■ Infectious diseases investigated .. ..115 Slaughter-yards inspected .. .. 4 Dwellings disinfected .. .. 67 Nightsoil-depots inspected .. .. 2 Dwellings and premises inspected .. .. 312 Country districts inspected .. ..42 Boardinghouses inspected.. .. ..49 Complaints investigated .. .. ..71 Bakehouses inspected .. .. 50 Overcrowding cases investigated .. .. 1 Butchers' shops inspected .. 52 Water-samples taken .. .. 20 Milk-shops inspected .. .. 14 Requisitions served .. .. .. 6 Fruit-shops inspected .. .. ..11 Requisitions complied with .. ..5 Fish-shops inspected .. .. .. 9 Creameries inspected .. .. .. 5 Hotels inspected.. .. .. ..58 Cheese-factories inspected .. .. 1 Schools inspected .. .. .. 40 Infantile-diarrhoea deaths investigated .. 15 Offensive trades inspected .. 18 Rubbish-depots .inspected .. .. 3 Jam-factories inspected .. . . . . 3 Prosecutions .. .. .. .. 1 R. J. McKenzie, Sanitary Inspector. OTAGO AND SOUTHLAND DISTRICT. Sik, — Department of Public Health, Dunedin, Bth June, 1908. I have the honour to send you my annual report on the work done and chief occurrences in the Otago-Southland Health District, along with summaries of the most important matters which engaged my attention. This work, you will see, has been almost entirely of a routine character, nothing of a notable nature having turned up during the year, but the district in general has been pretty well submitted to supervision, as my summary of localities visited and inspected by myself and Inspectors will show 3'ou. And, besides general inspection, many localities, including the city and suburbs of Dunedin, some of the suburbs of Inyercargill, and some thirteen of the smaller towns, have been'submitted this year, in continuance of that work commenced last year, to a thorough house-to-house inspection. On the reports of these minute inspections being handed to me by the Inspector I have made duplicate copies of them, sending these to the local authorities, with comments, requesting attention to be paid to the defects thus revealed, to which, on the whole, regard has been paid, so that I have reason to believe some progress has been made in the general sanitation of the places looked into. A glance at the summary of these inspections shows that so far as they have been completed, speaking generally, the larger towns compare unfavourably yvith the smaller ones; Dunedin City and suburbs being found to have sanitary imperfections in their premises to the amount of over 53 per cent.; the Invercargill suburbs inspected, 70 per cent. ; and the country towns, over 34 per cent. only. Dunedin varies from 3356 per cent, in Roslyn, to 75-66 per cent, in South Dunedin. The two suburbs of Invercargill gave 75-82 per cent, in East Invercargill, and 64-34 per cent, in Avenal. The variation in the country towns was from 9 - 52 per cent, in Miller's Flat, to 7653 per cent, in Clinton. The chief defects were those of drainage, defective trapping, and suchlike faults, which had been accentuated yvith the rise of the towns, due to carelessness, ignorance, or yvant of system, and also in part to the fact that many of these towns had no, or an inadequate, water-supply. I have noyv these house-to-house inspections recorded in a special book, to which I can at any time refer when a question regarding the sanitary condition of any special premises comes before me, and this I design to make in time a permanent record of the condition of my district, to be brought up to date from time to time as defects are remedied.