H.—3l

49

Rainfall and Temperature, 1913. (Auckland Museum Observations.)

Here, as in former years, the influence of the climate is apparent, December, 1913, being a very dry month, January also below the average rainfall, and February again very dry, resulting in a rising typhoid rate during the first four months. The colder weather in April and May and the heavy rain in the latter month checked the disease. Of the winter months June, July, and September show a low rainfall, and this with higher temperature of August. September, and October was followed by a rising typhoid incidence. November was a very wet month, and December, though the rainfall was normal, was below the average as regards temperature. There is a corresponding decline in the typhoid rate in the last month of the year. It was probably a result of the unusually dry June that we find outbreaks occurring among the Natives in the north and Bay of Plenty in July and August. The District Health Officer, Wellington, reports : — There has been a considerable increase in the number of cases notified during the year— 420 this year, as against 288 in 1912 and 357 in 1911. The bulk of these cases occurred in the northern parts of the east coast, a portion of the district which is always responsible for a large number of cases. There was a large epidemic in Gisborne, the cases numbering !>7, and was practically confined to the European population, the Maoris in that neighbourhood suffering very slightly this year. The outbreak was of a generally mild nature, but some deaths unfortunately occurred. The sanitary conditions of this borough are by no means satisfactory, although improvements have been effected within the last few years. The sewerage system has not yet been completed, although many houses are connected, but the work is being pushed on with, and it is to be hoped that with the final abolition of pan privies, together with improvements in refuse-removal and protection of foodstuffs from fly-infestation, now being carried on, a lessening of this disease will result. Including this outbreak in Gisborne the total numbers for the Cook Hospital District was 167. There was also an outbreak in Waiapu of 93 cases amongst the Maoris, which necessitated the reopening of the Manutahi isolation camp. The district nurse for Maoris in this district herself contracted the disease, and subsequently two nurses employed in the nursing of the cases. They, however, all recovered. A slight outbreak also occurred amongst the patients in one of the children's wards in the Wellington General Hospital. The District Health Officer, Dunedin, reports : — There have been only 4 cases notified this year, as against !) last year. Otago Central, from which most of the cases come, has been singularly free this year, owing in part to the attention which was given to the conditions obtaining on the dredges working in that district. Tuberculosis. The District Health Officer, Auckland, reports : — The cases notified from the health district during the last five years are-.--1909 ... ... ... 118 1912 ... ... ... 240 1910 ... ... ... 137 1913 ... ... ... 246 1911 ... ... ... 177 The number of deaths from tubercular disease during 1912 and 1913 show no increase over former years, despite the increasing population. The larger number of cases notified therefore does not appear to be more than the result of more careful notification,

7—H. 31,

Rainfall Average. Mean Temperature Average. 1913. Previous 45 Years. 1913. Previous 45 Years. anuary February larch Lpril .. lay une fuly Lugust ieptember )ctober November )ecember In. 2-64 1-38 2-34 148 4-37 147 4-37 5-74 1-76 3-69 6-16 2-80 In. 2-77 3-18 2-78 305 4-50 4-53 4-95 419 342 342 3-09 2-62 Deg. 65-5 654 65-1 58-1 524 49-8 51-7 53-0 54-6 57-5 60-0 60-2 Deg. 67-1 674 64-3 61-6 57-1 53-9 52-0 524 54-8 57-0 604 624 Totals and means 38-20 42-50 57-8 594