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15. The number of deaths registered as occurring from infantile convulsive diseases and marasmus is again more than a fourth of the total deaths registered during the year. A large majority of the deaths registered as being caused by these diseases occurred during the first month of life and nearly all during the first year. As remarked last year this relatively large infantile mortality indicates insanitary conditions in the surroundings, nursing or treatment of the infants in some form.

16. The remarks made in my report for 1890 with reference to the registration of the actual causes of death are still applicable inasmuch as no improvement, so far as the Chinese community is concerned, has taken place in this branch of death registration. This is, in my opinion, to be regretted for it may, nay probably will, lead to the expenditure of a considerable sum of money in organizing hurriedly a temporary medical service to meet as far as possible the requirements of the Colony should it be visited by cholera or other virulent communicable disease and should such disease assume the proportions of an epidemic throughout the Colony. This is viewing the question from a financial stand-point. The more important points of obtaining fairly reliable information regarding the diseases which actually cause the deaths which occur and the affording the people we govern facilities for the rational treatment of the diseases from which they suffer are referred to in previous reports.

HEALTH DISTRICTS.

17. Cemeteries.-The bye-laws for regulating the Cemeteries came into force on the 1st January, 1892. It was anticipated that the public Cemeteries for Chinese would have been laid out by then in the manner indicated by the bye-laws, but unfortunately this was not done and some inconvenience and expense has been the result. However, no hitch of importance has arisen and steps are now being taken to lay out these Cemeteries.

18. The following are the number of burials which have taken place up to the 31st December, 1892, in each of the public Cemeteries for Chinese since they were placed under the charge of the Sanitary Department in February, 1892, viz. :----

Mount Davis Cemetery, Mount Caroline Cemetery,. Kau-lung Cemetery,

Shau Ki Wan Cemetery,

Aberdeen Cemetery,

Stanley Cemetery,

Shek-Ŏ Cemetery,

Total,

547 burials

278

""

321

"

155

}}

148

"2

31

3

1,483 burials

19. During the same period the fees collected amounted to $924.50 and the total expenditure in connection with the Cemeteries amounted to $1,896.70. Through the Cemeteries not being laid out the great majority of the burials have been made in the free section. It is too early to express a decided opinion as to the success of this new departure in the management of the Cemeteries, but that it is a move in the right direction appears to me to be beyond question and one which I feel sure commends itself to the Chinese Community.

20. Laundries.—The Board was informed in March that the first set of public laundries were nearly ready for occupation and steps were taken with a view to letting them. Six public washermen entered into occupation of six of the laundries on the 1st of June. One of the six gave up his tenancy at once and two others at the end of the first month's occupation. The other three are still in occupation of a laundry each. Seven of the laundries are vacant and I am inclined to think they will remain vacant so long as public streams can be used free of charge for the business purposes of public washermen and while the ironing and dressing of clothing so washed is permitted in the bed-rooms of the washermen.

21. Bakeries. A special report on the sanitary condition of the bake-houses in Victoria was made in March. This report led to the making of bye-laws for regulating bake-houses. These bye-laws did not come into force during 1892.

22. Common Lodging Houses.--The bye-laws for licensing and regulating these are in abeyance pending the fixing of a day by the Board on which they will come into force.

23. Infectious Disease.- Seventy-one cases of small-pox were reported during the year, viz.:--9 cases from ships in the Harbour, 2 from the Eastern, 15 from the Central, 41 from the Western health districts of Victoria, 3 in Kaulung and 1 in the Hill district. In every case on shore the disinfection of the premises in which it occurred as well as of the bedding, clothing, etc. was carried out as far as practic- able under present conditions.

24. Three cases of hydrophobia were reported all of which ended fatally. One of these cases was not seen by any qualified medical practitioner and although the death is recorded as having resulted from hydrophobia, I doubt very much if the person ever suffered from this disease.