The Department of Public Health was constituted in 1901, and has its head office in the Government Buildings, Wellington. Sir Joseph Ward is Minister of Health for the colony. Health Officers at the various ports inspect all vessels arriving from foreign countries, and have power to order the quarantine of suspicious cases. Local authorities may be called on to abate nuisances or to isolate any portion of a district at the instance of the Health Officer. The public Health Office for Otago and Southland is in the Government Buildings, Dunedin.

Dr. Frank Ogston , M.D., C.M., Aberdeen, District Health Officer for Otago and Southland, was born in Scotland. He took his degrees in 1873, and practised his profession in Aberdeen until 1886. He was for a time Assistant Professor of Medical Jurisprudence at Aberdeen University. Dr. Ogston came to Dunedin in 1886, under appointment as Lecturer on Medical Jurisprudence and Hygiene, for the University of Otago. He is the only lecturer on Public Health in the colony.

Mr. Egmont Gunn , Assistant Inspector of Health at Dunedin, was born in 1885, at sea, on the steamer “Egmont,” bound from Melbourne to Hokitika. He was educated at Milton Hall Private School, Stuart Street, Dunedin, at the Normal School, and the University of Otago, where he studied for many years as a medical student. Mr. Gunn became secretary and dispenser to the Southland Hospital, Invercargill, and held the position ofr ten years; and was appointed to his present office in Dunedin, in 1901. As a volunteer Mr. Gunn served as sub-lieutenant in the Normal School Cadets, and in 1886 took the Sir John Richardson medal for officers' drill. He was married, in 1891. to a daughter of the late Mr. M. Hislop, of Dunedin, and has two daughters.