MENTAL HOSPITALS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 637, 14 October 1909, Page 11

MENTAL HOSPITALS.

THE ANNUAL nEPORT. LARGE INCREASE OF TATIEXTS. According to the roport on Mental Hospitals of the: Dominion, the number of patients at the besin'ning of tho year iv'as 3210 (males 1009, females 1331), and at . the end of tho year 3414 (males 1907 i females 1417). Tho increnso of 174 (males' -88,. - females , 8G) was _. the -.• largest that had taken place in any ono year, and followed one of the: smallest,-31 (males 9, females 25).. Tho residua showed a. tendency to deorease, notwithstanding the natural' advance in the number of tho admissions,, and this accentuated tho unusual position occupied by tho figures for the- year, under reviow. Tho unenviable distinction was explained by the large admission-rate, and-not, it would be seen, by there having been relatively fewer, deaths and discharges. Tho proportion of tho total insano to the total population was exclusive of Maoris 1 ra 285, and.inclusive of Maoris 1 in 295. Last year every 1311'pereons in the general population contributed an admission, ana overy 1604 a first. admission,' os against ah average of 1484 and 1818 respectively for tho quinquennial poriod ending in 1007, and 1571 and 1957 for tho previous quinquennium. The names written off the general Tegister during, tho year numbered 570 (males 338, females 233), the discharges exclusive 'of transfers accounting for 348 (males. 190, females 158), .and the deaths for 223 (males 148, females 74). Of the'discharges 326 (males 180. females 146) tfero classed as recovered and 22 (males 10, fsmales 12) as unrecovered. The recovery rate for the year was, however, well above the average. The recognition of the,fact that mental .hospitals were not "places for mere' segregation, but for the activo treatment of persons of unsound, mind' had tended, and would further-tend,-' towards the admission of patients in-the earlier, and more hopeful stages of their malady. Many of tho assigned causes made on-admission were, more properly oficctis,-as when'the previously ] temperate indulged in excesses; omolional alcoholic or'otherwise;' or still again, as was commonly the case where herodity was con-. cerned,:.tha: chief .Cause might have been pur-, posely suppressed. The causes given were Heredity, and congenital, males .16.00 per cent., females '23.09' per cent.; previous attack,-6.08 per cent, 9.23 per cent.; epochal, 12.21 and 18.40; mental: stress, 7.83 arid 8.31; alcoholism and drug habit, 10.86 and '7.08; brain disorders, o.6B'and 5.54; other diseases,'B3o arid 5.54; remaining causes, 12.07 and 14.46; and unknown,' 12.67 and 7.60. .-■'■■ ■ ' , ' 1 ' ■."It will bo found,"-the report states, "that those whoso lives are simple, who approach as nearly ,to nature as one may in . the unnatural conditions of civilisation,! are at a time .of stress tho leSst'liablo to alienation of mind. ; The. individual' may be botn with, certain weaknesses' predisposing -him'-to ceftain;diseases,; of", which insanity in- a' notable -'ex-' ample. , It is .demonstrated past- doubt-that tho offspring :of persons who themselves have or are 1 descen'dents of those who. have suffered from insanity or other neuroses.are likely to liavo this 'predisposition. These:: people-, lmVo an - unfortunate habit ,of making themselves 1 believe that their case is an oxception to tho laws of :horedity., Onco froed from-this delusion they would surely be more cironmspcct in marryingi. and. feel the awful responsibility of parenthood. Another .matter which cannot bo too . oftcn. repeated, 'until to every mother tho knowledge-';becomes'self-evident,' relates, to tho . proper nourishing of her child. The nature,of the'nourishment supplied, .to tho developing organism . must influence the ;, lifehistory of cyery ono.of its component cells. The milk of eaoh .class- of mammal'is .different, and that difference" 1 is exactly adapted to the requirements of tho young—the human inothcr and' infant beifig no exception.'. It should hardly need to be stated, that tho,further that Nature is\departed from in this matter, even if tho fact ;ba".not immediately apparent, the 'more unfitted must, tho' to bear, stress ! in the future,, whether, such'.6tres» come from within itsolf'or environment;,: Thus -ihay, the strong- at .birth be reduced'to the condition''of,'th6sa! Who''havo had the misforturis"to constitution less able than ; their..felldws:to.rcsist.>nd-Com" bat toxic'influcriws'. ":v '•',' - : : ...

■ "Insanity is hot- a rtiattor ':.of - brein 'tissue alone,' 'sith nor tho exterior hor tho inwird man resembles what -:it . was;'"' .his start iin life were good or. bad, no one who wishc? his mind to .be: superior to bodily ills can afford to' forgot that its state is dependent upon thflTbpdiknstatcwtheijmaster. upon the .servant—flra'tiWrWeh all "flarts'm'.tlie body theroyis an inter-depondonco which eniphasisos the necessity for keeping eaoh part disciplined and healthy'i-Ho has, to , :gnard iaspinst -the subtlejj.'ilow,. • > rosulting'- f torn'disorderod f-metaholism leaving - Jiim hntesi6ting prey when attacked, to quote common examples, by -w'orries,' by -disease, by the necessity for .physiological adaptations at particular epochs, i'py -'overwork, . and 1 ' the., conseqtiertt toxaemia of fatigue, or by tho more etude and wilful poisoning: of alcohol. Given: good food in proper'.proportions, 'and- : tho- Wetlv to masticato it,, pure air breathed at all times; excrciso ' to' stimulato. not t.O.fatigue, jjlist tho simple things which : every , man knows about but tho vital importapce„.pf which many often overlook :oA • account. of ,their. 'very, sim> plicity, a'hd metabolism Will 'assert if* natural bent to -work harmoniously,■ and 'the 'ijgaiiism will, be able to : combat ; ii large' hhmbe'r : of-'tho caiises, which hnng .so-many; to our mental hospitals."' v,.-- - ' :