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6
be undertaken by the local authority, and that in 1905, it was
frequently the subject of debate and generally of considerable
opposition. I dealt with it at some length in my Report to you
for that year, and have referred to it in later ones. As the full
history will be found set out in my Report to the Education
Committee shortly to be presented, nothing further need be said
about it here.
No useful purpose would be served by giving a detailed review
of the administration of the health department for the whole
period of eight years during which you have entrusted it to my
care, but it may be interesting to refer to one or two of the more
important events that have occurred. Most of the members of
the Council are in a better position even than I am to realise
the growth and progress of the district during this time. The
increase in number of houses and population is obvious, but it is
impossible to put the increase down in definite figures with any
degree of accuracy. I think it is likely that the rate of increase
has been less rapid during each of the last four years than in any
one of the previous four.
The bacteriological disposal of sewage, electric lighting, and
an apparatus for the proper disposal of refuse have all been installed
in the district, and are all matters affecting the public
health.
The system of sewage disposal was in process of conversion
from chemical to bacteriological treatment at the time you appointed
me, and any credit to the Medical Officer of Health for advising
the change must be given to my predecessor, Dr. Brind.
This district was one of the earliest, if not actually the first,
to be allowed to depend entirely on bacteriological treatment
without any reserve of land for filtration, and the system, which
commenced working in 1904, has so far done well. Your original
intention was that the duty of making systematic scientific analyses
of the effluent from the different filter beds should be entrusted
to the Medical Officer of Health, and I have always wished to