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the past three years, the district has had to contend with only a
small incidence of infection. Some of the main points in connection
with the present hospital problem are considered on pages 56-57.
It is gratifying to record the satisfactory progress which has
been made with respect to the School Medical Service during the
past five years.
The year 1922 saw the institution of an open-air school,
including separate mentally and physically defective departments,
among the first in the country. Towards the latter end of 1923
a cleansing and disinfesting station was opened at East Street,
for which, and other reasons, the incidence of uncleanliness
amongst schooi children has now fallen by nearly 100 per cent.
The School Medical Service has been benefited by the
acquisition of a full-time dental surgeon.
The institution of an orthopædic clinic (including the installation
of ultra-violet light), for the treatment of various crippling
conditions, has been a boon to the district as a whole.
The principal difficulty of the School Medical Service at
present, is the lack of more satisfactory premises for the dental,
eye, and general-medical examination and treatment of the
school population, a question further referred to on pages 14 and 15
of the section of this Report devoted to the School Medical Service.
My thanks are more particularly due to Mr. Bastable, Chief
Sanitary Inspector, who, since his appointment last year, has
been of great assistance in connection with the sanitary work of
the Public Health Department; and to Mr. Winchester, my Chief
Clerk, who has been responsible for the statistics and certain
other of the information required for this Report.
I am, Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen,
Your obedient servant,
KERR SIMPSON,
Medical Officer of Health.
School Medical Officer.