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of the Roads and Works departments, Otago, and to his Honor the Superintendent of Wellington, whose answers with printed Reports of similar investigations in those towns, will be found in Appendix IV. Also to E. J. Fitzgibbon, Esq., Townclerk, Melbourne, from whom no answer has yet been received.

We have also consulted Blue Books of New Zealand statistics, and of Nelson statistics—a copy of the English Health Act, 1848—and various medical works in the library of the Chairman of this Commission, in Nelson. We regret that we had no opportunity of consulting further tables of English, European, and Australian statistics so as to have a more complete comparison of the state of health in Nelson, with that of other places; but we did not deem it necessary to delay sending in our report until such could be obtained.

HEALTH OF THE CITY.

Opinions obtained as to the health of the City and the influence of the present drainage and sewerage, and want of drainage and sewerage, on that state of health, have been conflicting.

Dr. IRVINE is of opinion that the present sewerage is certainly calculated to exercise an injurious influence on the health of the town, and also that "the ill-smell from the mudflat, arises of course from fæces, &c., being exposed to sea and air on the wide expanse of the harbor at low water."

Dr. SEALY in answer to the question, "Is the health of Nelson injuriously affected by the present sewers as now used?" answers No; but thinks that if more sewers are built the health of the town will be injuriously affected. [See Sealy's letter, See Appendix II.]

Dr. SQUIRES believes that the present manner of keeping the refuse, is prejudicial to health, and considers that the drainage and sewage should not be carried off together; and also says "you have only to go down the Haven Road when the tide is out, when you will find the effects of throwing out the comparatively small amount of sewage quite appreciable now—what would it be if the whole town were drained on it?" [See Appendix II.]

Dr. VICKERMAN is of opinion that "the health of the town is injuriously affected and refers to cases of choleric diarrhea, and of typhoid fever met within his practice," in Toi-Toi Valley and Haven Road, which are more particularly exposed to the miasmata that the drains already in use and converted into sewers depositing their matter on the mudflat, exert a very deleterious effect." and will be quite sufficiently afflicted to convince him that the drains already in use and converted into sewers depositing their matter on the mudflat, exert a very deleterious effect." and "in the open privies and full cesspool's in the more densely populated parts of the city," says farther: "In my practice, I have found a great want of tone in the systems of the young and also adult England, and the convalescence more rapid, and that many cases of continued fever are removed from the West Coast to Nelson for the sake of the speedy recovery, which almost invariably follows."

Dr. WILLIAMS says that "though the present sewers may, not as yet exercise any appreciable bad effect upon the health of the inhabitants, it is nevertheless quite certain that if the town became densely peopled and the sewage be allowed to find its way as it does now, the health of the inhabitants must be injuriously

affected by it," and farther "with respect to the present system of collecting sewage in cesspools I consider it the very worst that can be practised, for apart from the fact that these accumulations contaminating the atmosphere of which annual warnings are given us in the form of dysentery and low fever, it is only a wonder from the porous nature of the soil and the consequent almost unavoidable pollution of the drinking water in the town wells, that the inhabitants have not before been visited with some terrible epidemic." [See Appendix II.]

Mr. SHERRATT is of opinion that a worse nuisance than the sewer is that the spring-tides bring up dead animals, &c., &c., to the edge of the mud flat behind Bridge-street, where they remain and rot: Also the inhabitants throw out refuse, &c.: Also the soil itself when disturbed has a bad smell. [See Mr. Sherratt's evidence, Appendix I.]

Mr. J. SCOTT, builder, has never observed any bad smell about the mouth of the sewer, but testifies to the bad smell of the swamp-earth at the head of the mud flat near his establishment: Also states that some of the cellars in the town are too deep to be drained into the sewer, and are therefore filled with water in floods, and are offensive. [See Mr. Scott's evidence, Appendix I.]

Mr. PHILLIPS' (Otago Dining Rooms) evidence is similar to that of the last witnesses. [See Mr. Phillips' evidence, Appendix I.]

Mr. STRONG has not found the beach offensive, except sometimes at the farther side of the Saltwater Bridge, where people throw rubbish, &c., into the tideway; has never observed any bad smell which he could attribute to the effects of the present Trafalgar-street sewer; has noticed very bad smell from the "Old Wells" fellmonger's establishment on the mud flat. [See Mr. Strong's evidence, Appendix I.]

BERRY & WARNER, laborers employed by the Board of Works to clean drains, and who have recently been cleaning out the open drains on the mud flat, into which the sewer in part discharges, testify to the absence of offensive smells about this drain—"nothing seems to stop on its banks." The worst drain they have cleaned is that in Hardy-street West. [See Appendix I.]

Mr. DREW has observed no bad smells from the present sewer, but in the floods "water from the sewers came back into my yard": Also has had occasion to call the Inspector of Nuisances to cesspools in Trafalgar-street, "overflowing and soaking the neighboring ground." [See Mr. Drew's evidence, Appendix I.]

Mr. WEBB considers that "the town is not now suffering from the working of the present sewer," but observes "the sewer from the Trafalgar occasions a bad smell; several people have been sick." [See Mr. Webb's evidence, Appendix I.]

Mr. CLEMENTS is of opinion that solid sewage is now deposited on the mud flat, and observes that in heavy rains the cesspools of the privies behind the south side of Bridge-street, west of Trafalgar-street, "overflow and cause an awful stench": Also that in floods many of the cellars in Trafalgar-street get filled by water backing up the sewer, and become very offensive. [See Mr. Clements' evidence, Appendix I.]

Mr. OSMAN gives similar evidence on this last point. [See Appendix I.]

Mr. WATTS, Inspector of Nuisances, observes "what I consider is the greatest nuisance is the waste, foul water, soap-suds, dish-water, &c., &c., which are in many places thrown into the yard in most houses in the town. Many of the privies are in a bad state and cannot be made better. In the lower part of Bridge-street and Hardy-street, if a privy