LUNATIC ASYLUMS AND REFUGES.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 167, 17 July 1888, Page 5

LUNATIC ASYLUMS AND REFUGES.

DR. MacGREGOR'S REPLY TO THE CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

At the ordinary meeting of the Charitable Aid Board, .the following letter from Dr. MacGregor, Inspector of Lunatic Asylums, was read :—

I regret very much that any statements of mine should have given oflbuce to any members of your Board, and I hasten to assure them that in making the statements complained of, 1 \va3 not specially thinking of tlie Auckland Charitable Aid Board. I was pointing out a general tendency <to send helpless and friendless old people, whose faculties had failed simply from old age, to our Lunatic Asylums. J-'ho only reason why I mentioned Auckland ut all in this 1 connection, waa because both the Deputy-In-spector, the oillcial visitors, and the .Resident Magistrate had already culled attention to this evil in Auckland. I must plead that the allegations made by theseresponsi biopersons.acting in their official capacities, wero sufficient warrant for what I said; but I waive that, for I acknowledge the right 01 the Board to demand au explicit statement of the facts on which I based the opinions expregsed in my report. In the first place, then, I beg to point out that I was endeavouring to counteract a very great evil which has grown up, especially in recent years —a tendency to make use of our Lunatic Asylums to harbour persons who are incapable oi being benefited there, and who. though their minds are affected, are notdangereous either to themselves or others. lam ot opinion that owing to tho non-existence of suitable refuges in Auckland and elsewhere, persons are sent to tho Asylum, and the officers are obliged to admit them, who, if suitable places were provided, I should at once recommend for d isolmrge or even refuse to admit at all. What I m jant to say in my report—and I am sorry thai my words Beem not to have been sufficiently explicit — was that in these circumstances the Resident Magistrates, the Asylum authorities, the certifying doctors, and the local bodies themselves were practically forced to do what in other circumstances they would not think of doing, namely, to send old people whose faculties are simply failing from senile decay to a lunatic asylum. From a list tying before me I give, at your request, the following case 3 as being of this description :—(1) Henry Cummins, certified 1 ebruary 19th by Urs. Bond and Oirdler, and referred to by Mr Smith in the letter I publishod-age, 1 60; (2. Andrew Bonar, committed bj the R.M.,, certified December 29th, by Drs. Mainea and •Qirdler, died February 2nd-ago, 78 -<3) \V m. Curtis, committed by the R.M., certified by Drs. Hainesand MacmulleiT, February 10th, died June 4th-ago, 60. These are three out ot sixteen cases which Dr. Cremonini says might have been cared for in a. refuge, and who could not benefit by being sent to an asylum. I will now give the names of persons aotually sent from the Auckland Hospital and Refuges .who were suffering from mere aentie decay: -II) Rebecca Spiers, 86, Refuge, committed by R.M., certified by Bra. Glrdler and Macmullen, the latter'of whom added the following note to the certificate:-' Her weak intellect is the result oi old age; and it would be much better that she should be kept at the "Refuge if possible, but Mrs Brophy assures me that there is no suit- : able accomoaatton or attendants for such a case. Incurable.' (2) David Horlon April 30th, R.M., Refuge, certu.ed by _ Dra Haines and Girdler, incurable,.aged^B2i, (3 , May 27th, P. Pearce, aged 65, Roftige, K.M., ! Drs. Macmuiren and Scott,' incurable. I trust the Board will exonerate me from any desire to attach blame to anyone unjustly, an da ccept my assuranco that it was the system and not either individual, Board or persona.that,l was animadverting oa.-I have, etc.-(Signed) D. MacGregor.

The Chairman said that this letter opened up a new question—whether a man like Cummins, who had means, and was sivtterine frtfiu dementia, should be taken in ha rid by the Charitable Aid Board. Bonar s, he explained, was a case that never came before the Board in any way. He was brought to Auckland by his friends, and certified to by medical men here. Mr Buckland said that if they took charge of dangerous men they might become liable to heavy claims in the event of them doing in"The'chairaa» mentioned three cases sent from the Hospital, and admitted that old people, when they reached the age of 83 years, and were suffering from dementia should be cared, for in the Refuge. He did not recognise, however, that the Board was reaponeible for outside cases. It bad been

said that there were'Bo people in the Asylum ■who ought to be in the Refuges, and when he (the Chairman) made inquiries-seven were pointed out, and now Dr. MacGregor reduced the number to 16. Of this number tho Board had knowledge of only four cases.

Mr Atkin said that as a member of the Board he had not knowledge of oven one case.

Mr Buckland said that the Board had no right- to take care of any person who had been declared a lunatic.

Mr Crowther agreed with Mr Buckland. Taxpayers had to contribute to the Asylum and Refuge alike, and there was no shifting of responsibility. He had been to the Asylum, and he had seen cases which he believed there was no hope of curing, but he did nob know what they could do with them in the Refuge. Mr Dignan said that Dr. MacGregor did not say that they should not keep incurables in the Asylum, but his report came to that.

Mr Crowther said the provision of an Asylum for incurables was no business for a Charitable Aid Board.

The Chairman said that all they could do was not to send any old people to the Asylum who could be kept in the Refuge with reasonable care. In the cases of Mrs Spiers and Hales ib would not have cost much for the Board to have taken charge of them. Ho suggested that Dr. MacGregor should be asked for particulars of the cases mentioned, besides the three particularised.

Mr Niccol thought the Board should be very careful in their admissions with respect to Dr. Mac(iregor's charges, and moved "That the Chairman be requested to draw up a reply to Dr. MacGregor, to bo submitted to the next meeting of tho Board." There was one alarming feature in the report,wheroDr. MacGregor said that if they had a proper Refuge thero were a number of cases in the Asylum he would send there at once.

The motion was then put and carried.