H.—3l.

Accommodation for Infectious Diseases. Invercargill— The Southland Hospital Board, towards the end of 1909, discarded the use for scarletfever cases of the large rambling pile of buildings in Invercargill formerly occupied for many years as an old men's home, and the new isolation hospital, on 44 acres of land at Kew, near Invercargill was brought into commission. Diphtheria and enteric cases are treated in small wards in the General Hospital. An old isolation ward adjoining the latter is being fitted up to accommodate 8 incurable tuberculosis patients. Arrangements are being made to send all Southland curable cases to the Otago Hospital Board's new sanatorium at Pleasant Valley, Palmerston South. Gore,~A new hospital of 15 beds has been opened at Gore, some forty miles from, the base hospital at Invercargill. The accommodation is for non-infectious cases only. new hospital for scarlet fever, adjacent to the Wallace General Hospital, was completed during the year. Enteric cases are admitted to the main Hospital, diphtherias and incurable consumptives are treated in small isolation wards, and curables go to the Pleasant Valley Sanatorium Frankton and Arrowtoum.—FaMj suitable accommodation exists at both these hospitals for cases needing to be isolated, but fortunately the available provision does not require to be used often. PART 3.—METEOROLOGICAL REPORT. New Zealand Temperature and Rainfall. The following tables have been kindly supplied by the Government Meteorologist :—

Mean Annual Rainfall at Twelve Representative Stations.

Averages for a Period of Ten Years.

Mean Temperatures (in Degrees Fahrenheit) for the Seasons for a Five-year Period.

37

Station. Rainfall. Period. Station. Rainfall. : Period. North Island. Mangonui Auckland Napier New Plymouth Wanganui Wellington In. .. I 53-63 .. 43-09 .. 37-09 60-19 .. 38-11 .. 49-88 Years. 20 57 15 33 47 46 South Island. Nelson Hokitika Christchurch Dunedin Invercargill I Queenstown In. 38-02 116-09 25-24 37-43 46-43 29-36 Years. 27 31 21 50 13 19

Observatory. Auckland Napier New Plymouth Nelson Hokitika Christchurch Dunedin Wellington Days with Rain in Year. , Rainfall (Annual, in Inches). . J _ . Max. Miii. ; Mean. Max. Min. \ Mean. I ! I [ I I •• : 197 130 175 54-18 31-89 41-59 • ■ 143 75 92 45-36 27-01 35-57 .. I 251 191 j 228 82-93 52-04 64-79 .. [ 140 102 123 45-59 30-90 38-31 • • I 188 146 166 ! 133-97 | 93-83 l 111-82 • • J 148 I 103 126 35-30; 13-54 24-]4 .. j 184 ! 143 162 53-84 31-48 43-34 ■• j 201 141 167 60-40 34-93 45-70 54-18 31-89 45-36 27-01 82-93 52-04 45-59 30-90 133-97 j 93-83 35-30 13-54 53-84 31 -48 60-40 34-93 41-59 " 35-57 . 64-79 38-31 111-82 24-14 43-34 45-70

Station. Auckland tfew Plymouth iloumahaki deeanee (Napier) . . Wellington • felson lokitika.. Jhristcliurch. )unedin Summer. 65-2 63-4 60-8 62-6 60-7 62-5 60-7 59-7 57-2 Autumn, i Winter. 60-8 52-2 60-1 53-1 56-1 47-7 56-9 47-7 56-3 48-3 55-8 46-4 55-7 46-9 53-1 43-1 51-0 43-0 j J Mean Difference : Spring, j Annual. , Coldest and Warmest Months. i . 57-1 58-8 15-2 56-7 58-3 12-6 53-6 54-6 15-6 54-8 55-5 17-0 53-4 54-7 : 14-7 54-4 54-8 18-4 53-6 54-2 16-8 51-7 51-9 19-3 50-1 50-3 17-7